text: * They are considered to be among the strongest of all types of chemical bonds. This often causes ionic compounds to be very stable.
  * Ionic bonds have high bond energy. Bond energy is the mean amount of energy required to break the bond in the gaseous state.
  * Most ionic compounds exist in the form of a crystal structure, in which the ions occupy the corners of the crystal. Such a structure is called a crystal lattice.
  * Ionic compounds lose their crystal lattice structure and break up into ions when dissolved in water or any other polar solvent. This process is called solvation. The presence of these free ions makes aqueous ionic compound solutions good conductors of electricity. The same occurs when the compounds are heated above their melting point in a process known as melting.