Ionic and Covalent Bonds

[Nehal Banik]

How would I tell the difference between a covalent and an ionic bond?

[skalvakota2H]

An ionic bond is formed between a metal and nonmetal, and since the nonmetal is more electronegative, the nonmetal will take the electrons from the metal. This produces an electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions in a compound.

A covalent bond is formed between two nonmetals, which implies two involved nonmetals will have similar electronegativities. In this bond, neither atom is strong enough to completely attract electrons from one another. As a result, the two atoms will simply share their electrons to stabalize both of their valence shells.

[RussellChin_3A]

In addition to the answer above, you can also tell whether or not a bond is ionic or covalent by using the electronegativity guidelines that Dr. Lavelle gave us. If the electronegativity difference is greater than 2 then the bond is considered ionic. If the electronegativity difference is less than 1.5 then the bond is considered covalent.