What kind of atom would typically form an ionic bond?

Answer 1

Metal and nonmetals form ionic bonds. The metal atom will give one or more electrons to the nonmetal atom. This is so that they can both have full electron shells. But by donating and accepting electrons, the metal becomes a positive ion as it has more protons than electrons, and the nonmetal becomes a negative ion as it has more electrons than protons.

For instance, sodium chloride (salt).

The sodium (metal) gives an electron to chlorine (nonmetal). By getting rid of one electron, the metal atom gains a full outer electron shell, and by accepting three electrons ( from 3 sodium atoms), the nonmetal atom also gains a full outer electron shell. But they both become ions.

Hope this helps ( I'm only 14)

Answer 2

An atom that has one or a few electrons in its outermost shell would typically form an ionic bond. This is because the atom can easily gain or lose electrons to achieve a full outer shell and become stable. Examples include metals like sodium (Na) and nonmetals like chlorine (Cl).