Aluminum Nitrate Ionic Or Covalent

Aluminum nitrate is an ionic compound.

Ionic compounds are formed when a metal and non-metal react with each other. In the case of aluminum nitrate, aluminum is a metal and nitrogen is a non-metal. When they react, the aluminum atom loses three electrons to form a positively charged ion (Al3+), while the nitrogen atoms gain three electrons to form negatively charged ions (N3-).

The resulting compound consists of positively and negatively charged ions held together by strong electrostatic forces of attraction. In the case of aluminum nitrate, the formula is Al(NO3)3, which means it contains one aluminum ion (Al3+) and three nitrate ions (NO3-) in its structure.

In contrast, covalent compounds are formed when two or more non-metals share electrons with each other to form stable molecules. Examples of covalent compounds include water (H2O) and methane (CH4).

Therefore, aluminum nitrate is an example of an ionic compound with a metal cation (Al3+) and a polyatomic anion (NO3-).