Ionic bonding involves which of the following?

• A. Transfer Of Electrons
• B. Sharing Of Electrons
• C. Electrostatic Attraction Between Oppositely Charged Ions
• D. Covalent Bonding

Answer: (C)

Ionic bonding is about the attraction that occurs after ions form. When a metal atom loses electrons, it becomes a positively charged ion, and a nonmetal atom gains those electrons, becoming a negatively charged ion. These oppositely charged ions attract each other strongly, and that electrostatic attraction is what holds the compound together as an ionic bond. So the defining idea is the force between ions with opposite charges, not just the act of transferring electrons or sharing them. The transfer of electrons explains how ions are created, but the bond itself is the attraction between the ions. Covalent bonding, by contrast, involves sharing electrons, not the attraction of charged ions.