| Formation of an ionic bond |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| • | In ionic bonding,
electrons are |
|||||||||||
| completely
transferred from one |
||||||||||||
| atom to another. In the process |
||||||||||||
| of either losing
or gaining |
||||||||||||
| negatively
charged electrons, |
||||||||||||
| the reacting atoms form |
||||||||||||
| ions. The oppositely charged |
||||||||||||
| ions are attracted to each other |
||||||||||||
| by electrostatic
forces which are |
||||||||||||
| the basis of the
ionic bond |
||||||||||||
| • | For example,
during the |
|||||||||||
| reaction of
sodium with |
||||||||||||
| chlorine: |
||||||||||||
