Lattice energy is a measure of the energy released when ions in the gaseous state combine to form a crystalline solid. It is a concept for understanding the stability, structure, and properties of ionic compounds.
Lattice energy is a direct indicator of the stability of an ionic compound. Higher lattice energy means a more stable ionic solid, as more energy is released during the formation of the lattice.
Ionic compounds with high lattice energies typically have higher melting and boiling points because more energy is needed to overcome the strong attractions between ions.
Lattice energy also affects the solubility of ionic compounds in water. Compounds with very high lattice energies tend to be less soluble because the energy required to separate the ions from the lattice is too great to be compensated by the hydration energy provided by water.
The lattice energy increases with the charge of the ions. Higher charges lead to stronger electrostatic attractions between the ions, resulting in greater lattice energy.
Magnitude of charge U ∝ Z+ Z– (Ionic charge)
For Example- NaCl< MgCl2 < AlCl3
The charge of Cation increases thus lattice energy increases.
Lattice energy decreases with increasing ionic radius. Smaller ions are closer together in the lattice, leading to stronger attractions and higher lattice energy.
LiCl < NaCl < KCl < RbCl < CsCl
The size of the cation increases, Size of the anion is constant thus Lattice energy decreases.
For a chemical reaction where substance A is converted to substance B (A → B), the heat of the reaction (ΔH) is denoted as +Q, indicating the amount of heat absorbed or released during the process.
If the reaction is broken down into several intermediate steps, such as:
According to Hess's Law, the total heat change for the overall reaction (A → B) is equal to the sum of the heat changes for each individual step. Therefore, the heat of the reaction, +Q, for the overall conversion from A to B can be expressed as:
+Q = q1 + q2 + q3
Examples
In NaCl, the lattice energy is relatively high due to the strong electrostatic attraction between Na⁺ and Cl⁻ ions. This high lattice energy explains why NaCl has a high melting point and is a stable compound.
MgO has an even higher lattice energy than NaCl because the charges on Mg²⁺ and O²⁻ are higher, leading to stronger attractions and a more stable lattice. As a result, MgO has an extremely high melting point.
Within a group in the periodic table, lattice energy typically decreases as the ionic radius increases. For example, in the alkali metal halides, lattice energy decreases from LiCl to CsCl.
Across a period, lattice energy increases as the ionic charge increases and the ionic radius decreases, resulting in stronger electrostatic attractions.
Lattice energy calculations assume a purely ionic model, but many compounds have some degree of covalent character, which is not accounted for in simple lattice energy calculations.
The distortion of the electron cloud of an anion by a cation (polarization) can lead to deviations from the purely ionic model, affecting the actual lattice energy.
(Session 2025 - 26)