Cambridge O Level Chemistry · Syllabus 5070 · Atoms, Elements and Compounds
Ionic bond
What is Ionic bond?
An ionic bond is the strong electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions. It is not the transfer of electrons: transfer is the process that creates the ions, and the bond is the attraction between the ions that result. The attraction acts in all directions, so it holds together not just one pair of ions but a whole giant lattice.
This definition is part of the Atoms, Elements and Compounds chapter in Cambridge O Level Chemistry.
Common mistakes with Ionic bond
- 5. “The transfer of the electron is the ionic bond.” Repair Transfer makes the ions. The bond is the strong electrostatic attraction between the oppositely charged ions that result. Two separate events, in that order. Taught fully in Lesson 2.4B.
Questions students ask about Ionic bond
How does an ionic bond form?
An ionic bond forms in two separate steps. First, outer electrons are transferred from a metal atom to a non-metal atom: the metal atom loses electrons to become a positive ion (a cation) and the non-metal atom gains them to become a negative ion (an anion). Second, the oppositely charged ions attract one another. The ionic bond is that strong electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions, not the transfer itself. Only electrons move; the nucleus and the proton number are untouched.