How do you know is a compound is ionic?

Answer 1

Well, a covalent bond is a bond between anything. An ionic bond is a bond in which the non-metal takes an electron from the metal that it's bonding to. Since the metal has lost an electron, it becomes positively charged, and the non-metal, which has gained an electron becomes negatively charged. And so they bond together, as a polar molecule. So an ionic bond is always going to be a metal bonded to a non-metal. Make sense?

Answer 2

Ionic compounds are formed by the transfer of electrons from one atom to another, resulting in the formation of ions with opposite charges that are held together by electrostatic forces. One way to determine if a compound is ionic is to look at the elements involved - usually, a metal combined with a nonmetal will form an ionic compound. Additionally, ionic compounds tend to have high melting and boiling points, and conduct electricity in a molten or aqueous state.