Question

Ionic reactions are______________.
A.Fast
B.Slow
C.Very slow
D.Medium

Answer 1

We need to know the ionic reactions and the rate of these reactions. Ions are atoms or molecules which have a net charge due to loss or gain of electrons. Ionic reactions are those reactions in which molecules or atoms having net electrical charge take part in the reaction. They are different from covalent reactions where there is bond breakage followed by bond formation to produce the end products.

Complete answer:
We need to remember that in the formation of covalent compounds by covalent reactions, there is a bond breaking which involves bond dissociation energy. This energy slows down the reaction as energy is consumed. This energy is supplied externally depending on the strength of the bonds. This process generally slows down the reaction. We have to know that in contrast, ionic reactions do not need the breaking of bonds as they are already broken hence they acquire some charge and thus are called ionic. Since the bonds are already broken, the reactions do not have to waste their time and energy for breaking the bonds. Hence ionic reactions are usually faster than covalent reactions.
Hence, the correct option is option (A).

Note:
We must be noted that there is another explanation in terms of activation energy as to why ionic reactions are usually faster. It is believed that the activation energy to carry out an ionic reaction which basically happens due to electrostatic attraction between ions is less as compared to covalent type of reactions which have a higher activation energy due to sharing of valence electrons.