alleryStart learning →What kind of bond usually forms between a metal and a nonmetal?
AAn ionic bond forms
BA covalent bond forms
CA metallic bond forms
DA hydrogen bond forms
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. An ionic bond forms
1. The best quick guide to bond type is where the two atoms sit in the periodic table.
2. A metal and a nonmetal are far apart in electronegativity, so electrons transfer and the bond is ionic.
3. Two nonmetals have similar electronegativities, so they share electrons and the bond is covalent.
4. Metallic bonding needs metal atoms on both sides, and hydrogen bonding is an attraction between molecules.
_Source: OpenStax Chemistry (CC BY 4.0), Ch 7 "Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry", section Electronegativity and Bond Type_
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