: What is the difference between ionic and covalent bonds? T-T
In: Chemistry
For the record, covalent and ionic bonds are not black and white. All covalent bonds do exhibit some sort of ionic-ness and vice versa. You could say one type of bond is more ionic than covalent and some other types of bonds would be the other way around.
A very ionic bond would be two atoms with very high difference in electronegativity, i.e. one atom can lose electron(s) easily, while the other really wants to gain electron(s). Then as a result of losing/gaining electrons to achieve a filled state, the result is a distinct net charge on the atoms which binds the structure. NaCl, MgO are classsical examples of this.
Covalent bonds are atoms that bond together for the sake of filling their orbitals. CO2 would be an example. Each oxygen gives 2 electrons so that the middle Carbon has 8, filling its sp orbitals.
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