Which of the following best describes an ionic compound?

Which of the following best describes an ionic compound?

• A. Bond by transfer of electrons
• B. Bond by sharing electrons
• C. Hydrogen bonding
• D. Metallic bonding

Answer: (A)

Ionic compounds form when electrons are transferred from one atom to another, producing positively charged and negatively charged ions that attract each other. This electrostatic attraction creates a strong ionic bond, holding the ions together in a repeating lattice. It’s different from sharing electrons, which describes covalent bonds where atoms share electron pairs rather than transferring them. Hydrogen bonding is a specific intermolecular force between molecules like water, not the primary bond that holds an ionic solid together. Metallic bonding involves a lattice of metal cations in a sea of delocalized electrons, not discrete ions bound by electrostatic attraction. A classic example is table salt, NaCl, where transfer creates Na+ and Cl− ions that stick together due to their opposite charges.

Ionic compounds form when electrons are transferred from one atom to another, producing positively charged and negatively charged ions that attract each other. This electrostatic attraction creates a strong ionic bond, holding the ions together in a repeating lattice. It’s different from sharing electrons, which describes covalent bonds where atoms share electron pairs rather than transferring them. Hydrogen bonding is a specific intermolecular force between molecules like water, not the primary bond that holds an ionic solid together. Metallic bonding involves a lattice of metal cations in a sea of delocalized electrons, not discrete ions bound by electrostatic attraction. A classic example is table salt, NaCl, where transfer creates Na+ and Cl− ions that stick together due to their opposite charges.