Video Transcript
Which of the following statements
does not correctly describe ionic bonding? (A) Ionic bonds are formed when
metal atoms lose electrons that are gained by nonmetal atoms. (B) An ionic bond is formed between
metal and nonmetal atoms. (C) An ionic bond is an attraction
between positive and negative ions. (D) Ionic bonding involves electron
transfer between atoms. (E) Ionic bonding involves the
sharing of electrons between atoms.
Here, we need to select the
statement which is not true for ionic bonding. So, let’s discuss what an ionic
bond is and then eliminate all the statements which are true for ionic bonds.
When a neutral metal atom and a
neutral nonmetal atom react with each other, there is a transfer of outer electrons
from the metal to the nonmetal. The metal atom loses its outer
electrons, and these electrons are gained by the nonmetal atom. Since the metal atom loses
electrons, it is no longer neutral. It now has more protons than
electrons and is positively charged overall. It is no longer called an atom, but
an ion. Since the nonmetal atom gains
electrons, it is no longer neutral. It now has more electrons than
protons and is negatively charged overall. We now call this particle the
nonmetal ion.
We can define an ion as a particle
with an unequal number of protons and electrons. Since the compound which forms is
composed of both positively and negatively charged ions, we say this compound is an
ionic compound. Ionic compounds are neutral
overall. A strong electrostatic attraction
exists between the positive and negative ions in an ionic compound, holding them
together in the solid state at room temperature. We call this electrostatic
interaction an ionic bond.
We now know what an ionic bond is,
so let’s review the answer options again.
Statement (B) — an ionic bond is
formed between metal and nonmetal atoms — is true. We also know that (D) is true,
since ionic bonding involves electron transfer between the metal and nonmetal
atoms. We know that the metal atoms lose
electrons and these electrons are gained by the nonmetal atoms. So statement (A) is also true. Finally, we know that this transfer
of electrons results in oppositely charged ions, which are held together by an
electrostatic attraction called an ionic bond. So statement (C) is true as
well.
The only remaining statement,
statement (E), says that ionic bonding involves the sharing of electrons between
atoms. This is an untrue statement and
does not describe ionic bonding. So, this is the answer to the
question. Sharing of electrons between atoms
describes a different type of bonding called covalent bonding.
To conclude this question, the
statement which does not describe ionic bonding is statement (E): ionic bonding
involves the sharing of electrons between atoms.
