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How to Make Ionic Compounds. Ionic compounds consist of two or more ions held together
by electrical attraction. Ions with a positive charge are called cations while ions with
a negative charge are called anions. You will need Cations Anions Energy for dissociation
and energy for ionization. Step 1. Vaporize the atoms of a cation-forming element to form
a gas. Cations are usually derived from metal atoms like sodium. Step 2. Dissociate anion-forming
molecules into atoms. Anions are derived either from nonmetals or polyatomic compounds like
chlorine molecules. Step 3. Ionize the cation-forming atoms. With ionization, sodium becomes a positively-charged
sodium ion. Step 4. Transfer the liberated electrons to the anion-forming atoms. The
chlorine atom becomes a negatively charged chlorine ion in this way. Step 5. Combine
the cations and anions in a regular manner to form a crystal. Electrostatic interaction
holds the crystal lattice together. Did you know Atoms in ionic compounds combine so that
they have eight electrons in their outer electron shells.