What is different between an ionic bond and a covalent bond?

1 Answer
Shulgin
Jun 30, 2018

see below

Explanation:

Ionic bonds are bonds between two elements who has a large difference in electronegativity. For instance Sodium chloride: #NaCl.#
Sodium have a low electronegativity and chloride have a very high electronegativity.

Covalent bonds are bonds between elements both with high electronegativity. For instance CO2. Oxygen have a high electronegativity and carbon have a electronegativity in approx the middle of the scale.

As a rule of thumb you can think of it as, the non metal elements forming molecules, for instance #NH_3#, #CO_2# and so on, would form covalent bonds.
All metals (for the most) bonding with a non metal forms an ionic bond: #MgCl_2#, #ZnO# etc.

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