ionic bonds

[Jessica Esparza 2H]

How does one determine when a bond is ionic and when it is covalent when only given the name? For example, how do we determine that sodium hypochlorite will be an ion?

[Jason Wu 1E]

What you have to do in this case is to first figure out the molecular compound from the nomenclature. After doing so, you could try to figure out whether the compound is an ion through its bonds (difference in electronegativity) or dissociation rules. In your example, Sodium Hypochlorite converted to the molecular compound is NaClO, after dissolving in water the compound will dissociate into Na+ and ClO-. Thus NaClO is an ion.

[Kehlin Hayes 4C]

After you find the molecular compound its best to see what kind of energy level or bond length there is and what kind of pattern it follows, whether it dissociates it water or not

[Chetas Holagunda 3H]

Compounds that have ionic bonds dissolve and dissociate in water. Also, one could look at the charges of each atom based on the periodic table and determine it that way if one atom is negative and the other is positively charged.

[Miriam Villarreal 1J]

Covalent bond normally occur between two nonmetal atoms or between a metalloid and nonmetal which can be determined by looking at the periodic table. On the other hand an ionic bond occurs between a metal and nonmetal which infers that they have completely opposite charges leading one of the atoms to donate all of its electrons (transfer).