Ionic bonding involves the transfer of electrons from one atom to another, resulting in the formation of oppositely charged ions. Specifically, a metal atom loses one or more electrons to become a positively charged ion (cation), while a non-metal atom gains those electrons to become a negatively charged ion (anion). This electron transfer causes an electrostatic attraction between the positively and negatively charged ions, which forms the ionic bond. Typically, ionic bonding occurs between a metal and a non-metal. The bond leads to the formation of ionic compounds, which generally have high melting points, tend to be soluble in water, and conduct electricity when molten or dissolved in solution due to the presence of free ions.
In summary, ionic bonding always involves:
- An attractive force between oppositely charged ions (cation and anion)
- A transfer of electrons from a metal to a non-metal
- The formation of positive and negative ions (cation and anion).
Thus, ionic bonding involves strong electrostatic attraction between charged particles formed through the complete transfer of electrons.
