The correct statement about ionic compounds is:
B. They form hard, brittle crystals with characteristic shapes.
Here's a brief explanation of the other options:
A. They contain no charged particles. - This is false; ionic compounds consist of charged particles known as ions (cations and anions).
C. They have characteristically low melting and low boiling points. - This is also false; ionic compounds typically have high melting and boiling points due to the strong electrostatic forces between the ions.
D. They are electrically charged, either positive or negative. - This is misleading; while ionic compounds are made of charged particles (cations and anions), the compound itself is electrically neutral overall.