Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Lattice energy is the amount of energy required to separate one mole of an ionic compound into its gaseous ions. It measures the strength of the electrostatic attraction between these ions in the crystal lattice structure.
Related terms
Crystal lattice: A repeating three-dimensional arrangement of ions or molecules in a solid.
Ionization energy: The amount of energy required to remove an electron from an atom or ion in the gaseous state.
Ionic bond: A chemical bond formed by the electrostatic attraction between positively and negatively charged ions.