How To Guides

You are making solutions in these diagrams. In a solution, the solvent, water, surrounds the solute molecules. This is why they seem to disappear.

Ionic compounds will break apart into their component ions in water, while covalent compounds remain as molecules, not breaking apart.

An example would be table salt as your ionic compound and sugar as your covalent compound.

The diagram of the ionic compound would show water molecules surrounding the positive and negative ions which make up table salt, while the diagram of the covalent compound would show the entire sugar molecule surrounded by water molecules.