Lattice Enthalpy
The lattice enthalpy of an ionic solid is defined as the energy required to separate one mole of a solid ionic compound into gaseous constituent ions. For instance, the lattice enthalpy of NaCl is 788 kJ/mol, indicating that this amount of energy is required to dissociate one mole of NaCl into gaseous Na+ and Cl- ions at an infinite distance.
This process involves two significant forces: the attractive interactions between ions of opposite charges and the repulsive interactions among ions of like charges. However, calculating lattice enthalpy directly from these forces is not feasible due to the complexities of a three-dimensional crystal lattice, which necessitates consideration of the crystal geometry as well.