7th edition 2B.9

[Alyssa Bryan 3F]

For these compounds, ammonium chloride, potassium phosphide, and sodium hypochlorite, why do you separate them into their cations and anions to draw the Lewis structures?

[Lily Benitez 2G]

When drawing the Lewis Structure for ionic bonds we have to remember that one atom is "giving away" its electron while the other is receiving it. And one atom will become positively charge while the other will become negatively charge and attract each other. That is why we don't draw the "line" between the atoms because that would signify that they are sharing the electron like a covalent bond.

[Anusha 1H]

The actual compounds are not covalently bonded to each other.They're ionic.
That's why the lewis structures are drawn so that the electrons are transferred to the anion to complete its octet and the cation is shown with its charge.

[Srikar_Ramshetty 1K]

You draw them separately because they either are ionic or have a polyatomic ion. NH4+ is ammonium, which is polyatomic. K3P is ionic so electrons are being "transferred". CLO- is hypochlorite, which is also polyatomic.

[becca_vandyke_4b]

I would just go by the idea that if a compound is a salt, aka an ionic bond, you draw them separate. But if it is a molecule, aka a covalent bond, you draw it together.