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 NH3, CO2 and so on, would form covalent bonds.
All metals (for the most) bonding with a non metal forms an ionic bond: MgCl2, ZnO etc.

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