Ionic bonding occurs between which types of elements?

Ionic bonding occurs between which types of elements?

• A. Two nonmetals
• B. Two metals
• C. A metal and a nonmetal
• D. A metalloid and a noble gas

Answer: (C)

Ionic bonds form when electrons are transferred from one atom to another, creating ions that are held together by electrostatic attraction. This transfer happens most readily between a metal and a nonmetal: the metal loses electrons to become a positively charged ion, the nonmetal gains those electrons to become a negatively charged ion, and the resulting opposite charges attract to form a strong ionic bond. Bonding between two metals creates a metallic bond with a sea of delocalized electrons, not discrete ions; bonding between two nonmetals is typically covalent, involving shared electrons. A metalloid paired with a noble gas doesn’t typically form a stable ionic compound under normal conditions. Therefore, the best choice describes a metal and a nonmetal.

Ionic bonds form when electrons are transferred from one atom to another, creating ions that are held together by electrostatic attraction. This transfer happens most readily between a metal and a nonmetal: the metal loses electrons to become a positively charged ion, the nonmetal gains those electrons to become a negatively charged ion, and the resulting opposite charges attract to form a strong ionic bond. Bonding between two metals creates a metallic bond with a sea of delocalized electrons, not discrete ions; bonding between two nonmetals is typically covalent, involving shared electrons. A metalloid paired with a noble gas doesn’t typically form a stable ionic compound under normal conditions. Therefore, the best choice describes a metal and a nonmetal.