Does the compound aluminum oxide have covalent or ionic bonds? Explain.

Aluminum oxide, commonly represented as Al₂O₃, primarily features ionic bonds.

To understand why, we first need to explore the components of this compound. Aluminum (Al) is a metal that tends to lose three electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration, forming a positively charged ion (Al³⁺). On the other hand, oxygen (O) is a non-metal that gains two electrons to achieve stability, resulting in a negatively charged ion (O^2-).

In aluminum oxide, the aluminum ions and oxide ions bond together through electrostatic attraction, which is characteristic of ionic bonding. The oppositely charged ions combine in a fixed ratio to form a neutral compound. In the case of Al₂O₃, two aluminum ions balance the charge of three oxide ions, creating a stable structure.

While there are some covalent character and bond factors present in certain oxides, the predominant nature of the bond in aluminum oxide is ionic due to the significant difference in electronegativity between aluminum and oxygen. Therefore, we classify aluminum oxide as an ionic compound.