The Formation of an Ionic Compound:

A Chemical Love Story

By Jonathan Pratt

A Chemical Love Story

Copyright Information
Copyright 2011 written by Jonathan Pratt. All rights reserved.
All material in this eBook is, unless otherwise stated, the property of Jonathan Pratt. Copyright
and other intellectual property law protect these materials. Reproduction or retransmission of the
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holder, is a violation of copyright law.

A single copy of the materials available through this course may be made, solely for personal,
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of the copyright holder of the materials. Contact information for requests for permission to
reproduce or distribute materials available through this course is listed below:

Jonathan W Pratt
924 SE 2nd St #103
For Lauderdale, FL 33301
jonnypratt@hotmail.com
(954) 298-7625

A Chemical Love Story

About the Author

Jonathan Pratt is a teacher at Pembroke Pines Charter High School in Pembroke Pines, FL where
he currently teaches Chemistry and Chemistry Honors. Jon (Coach) Pratt grew up in
Maplewood, Minnesota where he graduated from Roseville Area High School. Jon went on to
attend the University of Minnesota where he studied Biology and Business. While attending the
University of Minnesota, Jon developed a love for coaching football and making a difference in
the lives of high school students. To further his coaching career and to be a positive role model
for his students and athletes Jon decided to enter the field of education.
Jon moved to the Fort Lauderdale area in 2005 to escape the long cold winters of Minnesota. He
enjoys playing and watching sports, travel, hanging out at the beach, researching the stock
market, and spending time with his friends and family.
In addition to helping students learn course content, Jon thinks it is a teachers role to help
students develop broader skills that are important in all fields and future careers. These skills
include oral and written communication, critical thinking, and consideration of issues from
multiple viewpoints. Jon uses discussion sections for student presentations of homework
problems in order to build student confidence, improve oral communication skills, and instill a
class spirit toward learning the course material. The laboratory curriculum Jon has developed
includes a strong emphasis on writing skills and substantive discussion, along with several
opportunities for oral presentations.
Jon is a strong proponent of a hands-on approach in the laboratory, making it an active
learning experience. Laboratory courses should be instrument-rich, and all instruments in the
Department should be available for appropriately trained students. Jon also feels that computer
technology should be used where it can enhance student understanding beyond traditional
teaching methods, for example in numerical and symbolic evaluation, visualization, interactive
exploration, and quantum chemistry calculations.

A Chemical Love Story

nce upon a time there was an atom, his name was Nate, or Na for

short. Nate was no ordinary atom. He was in a very special family,

which was the Group I Family. Atoms in his family all had a very
special characteristic. They lose an electron and become smaller when
they turn 13 years old so they become ions that have a positive one (+)
charge.

Nate The Atom Age 10

Nate The Ion Age 16

Nate had three brothers, Lionel (Li), Ken (K), and Robert (Rb). Just
like Nate, they all lost an electron when they turned 13; which caused
them to have a positive one (+) charge. They lived on the west coast of
the country known as Ion Land.

Lionel

Ken

Robert

A Chemical Love Story

n the other side of Ion Land there lived an atom named Chloe, or Cl

for short. She lived with her three sisters Frieda (F), Bri (Br), and
Ida (I). Chloe and her sisters were members of a very prestigious
family, the Group VII Family. Members of the Group VII Family gain
one electron and become bigger when they turn 13 years old; which
causes them to have a charge of negative one (--).

Chloe The Atom Age 10

Frieda

Chloe The Ion Age 16

Bri

Ida

A Chemical Love Story

on Land is in the valley of the Isotope Mountains. The ions are

separated based upon their charge. The ions have to be very careful not
to go near ions with opposite charges because opposite charges will
attract so strongly that the ions will not exist. The families that live
on the west side of Ion Land are metal ions and have a positive charge.
The families of ions including Chloes Family (Group VII) are all
nonmetal ions and have a negative one charge.

A Chemical Love Story

n one sunny afternoon Nate The Ion decided to go out for a jog in

the woods down a path that went through Ion Land. Nate said goodbye
to his brothers before he left that afternoon. Nates brother Robert said
to him, Do not go too far across Ion Land Nate! Ok, said Nate. Ken
said, Nate do not go too close to those ions from the other side of Ion
Land, you will not be able to exist as yourself, you will become a
compound.
Nate finished saying his Goodbyes and headed out on his run down the
path that went through Ion Land.

A Chemical Love Story

fter running for several miles Nate felt so good that he continued to

run through Ion Land. Nate had a lot on his mind. His electrons were
training for a jump to higher energy levels and he had several neutrons
to lose. Nate kept running and running. He knew he had to be aware
of a potential encounter with negative ions.

A Chemical Love Story

uddenly, Nate came to an immediate stop. In his path stood a

negative ion. Nate had never seen a negative ion. He immediately was
fascinated so he took a few steps closer for a better view. A voice
yelled, Do not come any closer! Who are you? asked Nate. My
name is Chloe, I am a member of the Group VII Family and I have a
negative one charge. Who are you? Nate paused for a minute and said,
My name is Nate, I come from the Group I Family and have a positive
one charge. Nice to meet you! said Chloe. The pleasure is all mine!
said Nate. At that point Nate was inamered by Chloe. He had never
seen such a beautiful ion so he asked, Do you think I could get just a
little closer, I have never seen anything like you before? OK, said
Chloe. But we have to be careful because we are opposites.

A Chemical Love Story

ate and Chloe took a few steps towards each other, but they kept

what they thought was a safe distance. See, this seemed to work out
OK, Chloe, I can see you much better from here! I cannot wait to tell all
my friends at Metal School about you! Nate said. This is pretty cool!
I cannot wait to tell all the ions at Nonmetal School that I ran into a
positive ion! added Chloe.

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A Chemical Love Story

ll of a sudden, a strong attractive force began to pull Nate and

Chloe. Oh no! yelled Chloe. How can this happen to me, I will never
be able to go back to being an ion! Nate screamed.

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A Chemical Love Story

ate and Chloe could not break the chemical bond that held them

together. This isnt so bad said Chloe. You are right Nate added. I
really do not mind being bonded to you!
Nate and Chloe would never again be able to return to their families in
Ion Land. They were now chemically bonded together and they were
forced to find a new place to live. After forming a compound Nate
decided to go by his real name; which was Simeon, and Chloe decided to
go by her full name, Chloide. Now that they were a compound they
would be referred to by the name Simeon Chloide.

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A Chemical Love Story

ears later it was said that Simeon Chloide and some of their new

friends were found on a dinner table in a far off land. Simeon Chloide
would live happily ever after, they went on to do many other things
together, but those are other stories.

The End
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A Chemical Love Story

Reference
Cartoon road. (2011) Retrieved from: http://www.vectorimages.org/.

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