Which term best completes this definition: a bond formed by positive and negative ions?

Which term best completes this definition: a bond formed by positive and negative ions?

• A. Metal
• B. Non metal
• C. Ionic bond
• D. Hydrogen

Answer: (C)

A bond formed by positive and negative ions is an ionic bond. This happens when one atom (usually a metal) loses electrons to become a positively charged ion, and another atom (usually a nonmetal) gains those electrons to become a negatively charged ion. The opposite charges attract strongly, holding the ions together in a compound such as table salt (NaCl). This is different from metallic bonds, where electrons are shared in a “sea” among many metal atoms, and from covalent bonds, where atoms share electrons rather than transfer them. Hydrogen bonds are weaker attractions between polar molecules involving hydrogen, not bonds between ions.

A bond formed by positive and negative ions is an ionic bond. This happens when one atom (usually a metal) loses electrons to become a positively charged ion, and another atom (usually a nonmetal) gains those electrons to become a negatively charged ion. The opposite charges attract strongly, holding the ions together in a compound such as table salt (NaCl). This is different from metallic bonds, where electrons are shared in a “sea” among many metal atoms, and from covalent bonds, where atoms share electrons rather than transfer them. Hydrogen bonds are weaker attractions between polar molecules involving hydrogen, not bonds between ions.