Which type of bond typically forms between a metal and a nonmetal?

• A. Ionic
• B. Covalent
• C. Metallic
• D. Hydrogen

Answer: (A)

Ionic bonds form when electrons are transferred from one atom to another, creating ions that attract each other. Metals tend to lose electrons to become positively charged cations, while nonmetals tend to gain electrons to become negatively charged anions. The large difference in electronegativity between a metal and a nonmetal makes this transfer favorable, and the resulting electrostatic attraction between the opposite charges holds the ions together in a stable compound. This is why metal–nonmetal pairs commonly form ionic compounds like table salt.

Covalent bonds, by contrast, occur when two nonmetals share electrons. Metallic bonds involve a “sea” of delocalized electrons binding metal atoms together. Hydrogen bonds are a special kind of dipole interaction, not the typical bond type you’d expect between a metal and a nonmetal.