Although ionic bonding is arguably the simplest type of chemical bonding, misconceptions about ionic compounds abound. What is the mental image that one should associate with a formula unit of sodium chloride or calcium carbonate? What is the fundamental driving force for the formation of ionic compounds?

The ODYSSEY Ionic Bonding app uses three-dimensional visualization for each of the twenty-seven molecular models that are included. Dynamic simulations at room temperature make it possible to watch the spontaneous formation of sodium chloride-like crystallites when adding electric charges to a two-component gaseous model system. The simulation environment allows for combining charged and uncharged particles in a number of different ways, allowing for detailed exploration of the electrostatic interactions in a dynamic system at the molecular level.

More than twenty models of actual inorganic substances―from aluminum oxide to zinc chloride―are also included to illustrate the diversity of ionic compounds. Ten of the models include simple polyatomic ions such as nitrate and ammonium.

Using simple gestures, models can be examined at any orientation and zoom level and with a number of different visualization styles. Lattice energy can be measured and various correlations between chemical composition and energetics can be discovered. A glossary, comments section, and a set of multiple choice questions complete the app.