In ionic bonding, which statement describes electron transfer?

In ionic bonding, which statement describes electron transfer?

• A. A metallic ion gives up electrons and a nonmetallic ion takes electrons
• B. Electrons are shared between atoms
• C. Electrons are created
• D. Electrons are destroyed

Answer: (A)

In ionic bonding, electrons move from one atom to another, creating oppositely charged ions that are held together by their electrical attraction. A metal tends to lose electrons to reach a stable configuration, forming a positively charged ion, while a nonmetal tends to gain electrons to fill its outer shell, forming a negatively charged ion. The idea that a metallic ion gives up electrons and a nonmetallic ion takes electrons describes this transfer precisely. Once formed, the cation and anion attract each other, creating the strong bond between them. The other descriptions don’t fit ionic bonding: sharing electrons is what happens in covalent bonds, and electrons aren’t created or destroyed in bonding—they’re simply rearranged.

In ionic bonding, electrons move from one atom to another, creating oppositely charged ions that are held together by their electrical attraction. A metal tends to lose electrons to reach a stable configuration, forming a positively charged ion, while a nonmetal tends to gain electrons to fill its outer shell, forming a negatively charged ion. The idea that a metallic ion gives up electrons and a nonmetallic ion takes electrons describes this transfer precisely. Once formed, the cation and anion attract each other, creating the strong bond between them.

The other descriptions don’t fit ionic bonding: sharing electrons is what happens in covalent bonds, and electrons aren’t created or destroyed in bonding—they’re simply rearranged.