Is HNO2 ionic or covalent bond?

Answer 1

In nitrous acid, HNO2, a hydrogen atom (H) is ionically bound to an oxygen atom (O), which is covalently bound to a nitrogen atom (N), which is covalently bound to another atom of O.

As a general rule elements on opposite sides of the periodic table bind ionically, while elements on the same side of the chart bind covalently.

In more advanced chemistry, you will learn that all bonds are actually ionic to a certain extent unless the two atoms are of the same type. This due to a property of atoms that is called electronegativity, which is the affinity of an atom accept electrons from other atoms. The closer the electronegativity values of the two bonding elements are to each other the less ionic the bond becomes.

The Periodic Table is a powerful tool in determining many things about a particular element, including electronegativity. The closer to the top right of the chart an element is, the more electronegative it becomes, while, on the other hand, the closer to the bottom left of the chart an element is, the less electronegative it becomes. Each element has a unique level of electronegativity, and the greater the difference in electronegativity between the two bonding atoms, the more ionic the bond becomes.

It is quite easy to intuitively envision the reason for this. Everyone has heard somewhere that opposites attract. When an electronegative atom comes in contact with an electropositive atom, it steals one of its electrons. Because electrons carry a negative charge, the atom that steals the electron (the electronegative atom) becomes more negative, while the atom that loses an electron becomes more postive in charge. This difference in charge causes an attraction, which creates an ionic bond.

Answer 2

IONIC

Answer 3

Molecular