AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Ionic bonds are formed between two or more atoms by the transfer of one or more electrons between atoms. Electron transfer produces negative ions called anions and positive ions called cations.

Detailed explanation-2: -Ionic bonding Definition: An ionic bond is formed when valence electrons are transferred from one atom to the other to complete the outer electron shell.

Detailed explanation-3: -In ionic bonding, atoms transfer electrons to each other. Ionic bonds require at least one electron donor and one electron acceptor. In contrast, atoms with the same electronegativity share electrons in covalent bonds, because neither atom preferentially attracts or repels the shared electrons.

Detailed explanation-4: -Ionic bonds form only between metals and nonmetals. That’s because metals “want” to give up electrons, and nonmetals “want” to gain electrons. It takes energy to remove valence electrons from an atom and form a positive ion.

Detailed explanation-5: -A covalent bond forms when the difference between the electronegativities of two atoms is too small for an electron transfer to occur to form ions. Shared electrons located in the space between the two nuclei are called bonding electrons. The bonded pair is the “glue” that holds the atoms together in molecular units.