3.2.1—Ionic bonding

Ionic bonding is the strong electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions: positive cations and negative anions. The attraction acts in all directions between neighbouring ions in the ionic lattice.

A metal transfers one or more outer-shell electrons to a non-metal. The metal becomes a positively charged cation and the non-metal becomes a negatively charged anion; each ion may thereby reach a stable outer-shell arrangement supported by the source.

The oppositely charged ions arrange in a regular repeating lattice. Each ion is attracted to oppositely charged ions around it, so the solid is overall electrically neutral and the strong attraction requires substantial energy to overcome.

Keep the mechanism distinct: electron transfer creates the ions, whereas the ionic bond is the electrostatic attraction between them. Do not describe an ionic compound as a single covalent molecule or add detailed lattice-energy calculations; specific charge-balance examples belong to the neighbouring card.