---
title: "A student compares the lattice energies of four alkali halide ionic compounds: \\(\\text{LiF}\\), \\(\\text{NaF}\\), \\(\\text{NaCl}\\), and \\(\\text{KCl}\\). All four compounds crystallize in identical crystal lattice structures where each ion has a charge of magnitude 1. Which of the following correctly ranks the compounds in order of decreasing lattice energy (greatest to least magnitude) and provides the correct justification?"
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url: "https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/119206/"
date_modified: "2026-08-19T12:39:21+00:00"
---

# A student compares the lattice energies of four alkali halide ionic compounds: \(\text{LiF}\), \(\text{NaF}\), \(\text{NaCl}\), and \(\text{KCl}\). All four compounds crystallize in identical crystal lattice structures where each ion has a charge of magnitude 1. Which of the following correctly ranks the compounds in order of decreasing lattice energy (greatest to least magnitude) and provides the correct justification?

A student compares the lattice energies of four alkali halide ionic compounds: \(\text{LiF}\), \(\text{NaF}\), \(\text{NaCl}\), and \(\text{KCl}\). All four compounds crystallize in identical crystal lattice structures where each ion has a charge of magnitude 1. Which of the following correctly ranks the compounds in order of decreasing lattice energy (greatest to least magnitude) and provides the correct justification?

- **A.** \(\text{LiF} > \text{NaF} > \text{NaCl} > \text{KCl}\), because smaller ionic radii result in a shorter internuclear distance between ions, which increases the magnitude of Coulombic attraction.
- **B.** \(\text{LiF} > \text{NaF} > \text{NaCl} > \text{KCl}\), because an increase in core electron shielding down a group reduces the attraction between cations and anions.
- **C.** \(\text{KCl} > \text{NaCl} > \text{NaF} > \text{LiF}\), because larger ionic radii lead to greater electron cloud polarizability, which strengthens the lattice interactions.
- **D.** \(\text{KCl} > \text{NaCl} > \text{NaF} > \text{LiF}\), because ions with a larger number of total electron shells exert a stronger electrostatic attraction on neighboring counterions.

*The answer key and step-by-step explanation are available to logged-in users at https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/119206/*