Listen to the full series on BBC Sounds. Ionic compounds have high melting and boiling points, so they are in the solid state at room temperature. See the study guide on the three states of matter ...

the lithium-based compound is a solid at operational temperatures. But despite its rigid interior structure, charged ions are still able to quickly travel through, making it a "super ionic" material.

A little water helps expose the sodium so it can react with the chlorine gas. The reaction releases a lot of heat as the ionic compound sodium chloride is formed. A sodium and chlorine atom are near ...