The bar chart compares lattice energies of four ionic compounds. Lattice energy magnitude depends on ion charges and the distance between them.
Why does Al2O3 have the largest lattice energy?
- A
Al has lower ionization energy than Na
- B
Smaller atoms automatically yield higher lattice energies
- Ccheck_circle
Larger ionic charges (3+ and 2-) increase the electrostatic attraction
- D
It contains more atoms per formula unit
Explanation
Lattice energy is proportional to (q1·q2)/r; the larger product of charges in Al2O3 dominates and makes its lattice energy by far the largest.