Ionic and covalent bonds represent two distinct types of chemical bonding characterized by the behavior of electrons among atoms. The answer is A: Atoms lose or gain electrons in ionic bonding versus atoms sharing electrons in covalent bonds.
In ionic bonding, one atom transfers electrons to another, leading to the formation of charged particles known as ions. For instance, when sodium (Na) interacts with chlorine (Cl), sodium donates an electron to chlorine. This transfer creates a positively charged sodium ion (Na+) and a negatively charged chloride ion (Cl–). The electrostatic attraction between these oppositely charged ions forms the ionic bond.
On the other hand, covalent bonding occurs when two atoms share one or more pairs of electrons. This sharing allows each atom to attain a stable electronic configuration, resembling that of noble gases. For example, in a molecule of water (H2O), each hydrogen atom shares an electron with the oxygen atom, resulting in a covalent bond.
To summarize, the key difference lies in the nature of electron interaction: ionic bonds involve transfer leading to ion formation, while covalent bonds involve the sharing of electrons between atoms.