What are Ionic Bonds?
Ionic bonds are a type of electrostatic bond between two atoms that is weaker than covalent bonds, but usually stronger than hydrogen bonds or the van der Waals force, which is what holds water to itself. They are formed from the mutual attraction of ions. Typical participants in an ionic bond are a metal and a non-metal, such as sodium and chlorine. Sodium and chlorine combine to create a typical ionically bonded molecule, sodium chloride, or common table salt. Ionic bonds can be explained using the theory of electron orbitals. Every atom has a number of electron orbitals equal to or greater than one. Each orbital has a maximum electron limit, after which a new orbital is created. The number of orbitals in the elements we know ranges from one for hydrogen or helium, to six, seven, or eight for the larger molecules with atomic numbers greater than uranium. Electron orbitals “want” to have the maximum number of electrons. That’s when they’re at their lowest, or most stable energy state.
