Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry Practice Exam

What type of bond is formed between a metal and a nonmetal?

1. Covalent bond

2. Ionic bond

3. Metallic bond

4. Hydrogen bond

The correct answer is: Ionic bond

The bond formed between a metal and a nonmetal is an ionic bond. This type of bond arises when electrons are transferred from the metal to the nonmetal. Metals, which are typically found on the left side of the periodic table, have a tendency to lose electrons because they have a low ionization energy. This loss of electrons enables them to achieve a stable electron configuration. Nonmetals, found on the right side of the periodic table, generally have high electronegativities, meaning they have a strong tendency to gain electrons to fill their valence shells. When a metal atom donates one or more of its electrons to a nonmetal atom, it creates a positively charged cation (the metal) and a negatively charged anion (the nonmetal). The electrostatic attraction between these oppositely charged ions results in the formation of an ionic bond. In contrast, covalent bonds occur primarily between nonmetals that share electrons, while metallic bonds involve a sea of delocalized electrons among metal atoms. Hydrogen bonds are a type of intermolecular force that occurs in polar molecules and involve a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a highly electronegative atom. Thus, the formation of an ionic bond is the most accurate descriptor for the