How to identify a molecule as a covalent or ionic bond
Answers
There is a couple different ways to determine if a bond is ionic or covalent. By definition, an ionic bond is between a metal and a nonmetal, and a covalent bond is between 2 nonmetals. So you usually just look at the periodic table and determine whether your compound is made of a metal/nonmetal or is just 2 nonmetals. The exception is a compound made with ammonium (NH4+) Since ammonium is an ion, it forms ionic compounds. If the compound begins with H, it's an acid.
You can use determine the difference in electronegativty. This is a value that rates how attracted an electron is to a particular atom. This value is often stated in a chart or on the periodic table. Find both elements in the bond, and find the electronegativity values. For example, Na is 0.9 and Cl is 3.0 Then subtract to find the difference (3.0-0.9 = 2.1) Using this method, you can determine the value of each bond.