What are three differences in ionic and colvalent bonds?

Answer 1

The most important distinction you have to make is that when thinking of covalent bonds, think shared electrons. When thinking of ionic bonds, think transfered electrons. Covalent bonds happen between a non-metal and a non-metal. Ionic bonds happen between a metal and a non-metal. Because a molecule may have different atoms with different sizes, electrons are shared unequally in a covalent bond. The different size atoms means that they have a different electronegitivity charge. So in a covalent bond, electrons will spend more time around one or more atoms than others. If a there is a covalent bond between two atoms with different electronegitivities, then the bond is also polar. Whether the entire molecule is polar is a different matter. Ionic bonds happen between a metal and a non-metal, which have very different electronegitivites. Usually in a ionic bond, the metal will have a low electronegitivity and the nonmetal a high electronegitivity. Because of the disparity in the charges, the non-metal will steal electrons rather than sharing them (hence transfer of electrons). Like with covalent bonds, unequal sharing of electrons causes polar charges. But a ionic bond is so much polar than a covalent bond because instead of unequal sharing there is uneqal transfering. The saying with ionic bonds in chemistry is: the bond is so polar that it's ionic.

Answer 2

Ionic Bonds:

1) They are formed between metallic and non metallic atoms.

2) It occurs by a transfer of one or more electrons by the metallic atom to the non - metallic atom.

3) Compounds having such bonds have high melting and boiling points due to strong electro - static forces of attraction between them.

Covalent Bonds:

1) Covalent bonds are formed between two or more non - metal atoms.

2) It occurs by mutual sharing of one or more electrons between the non - metallic atoms.

3) Compounds having such bonds have low melting and boiling points due to weak electro - static forces of attraction between them.

Answer 3

Ionic:

Metals and non-metal bond

Transferring of electrons

Conductive

Covalent:

Non-metal bond

Sharing of electrons

Not Conductive