What type of bond is formed by the attraction of oppositely charged atoms or groups of atoms?

Prepare for the ACC Biology Accuplacer Test. Use flashcards and multiple-choice questions with hints and explanations, ensuring you're exam-ready!

Ionic bonds are formed through the attraction of oppositely charged atoms or ions. This occurs when one atom, typically a metal, donates one or more electrons to another atom, usually a non-metal. The atom that loses electrons becomes a positively charged ion, while the atom that gains electrons becomes negatively charged. The electrostatic attraction between these ions of opposite charges leads to the formation of an ionic bond.

This type of bond is distinguished from covalent bonds, where atoms share electrons rather than transfer them, and from coordinate covalent bonds, which involve the sharing of a pair of electrons where both electrons come from the same atom. Hydrogen bonds, on the other hand, are weaker interactions that occur between molecules or parts of a single molecule due to polar covalent bonds, but they do not involve the direct attraction between charged atoms. Thus, the characteristics of ionic bonding specifically identify it as the type of bond described in the question.

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