Which statement about ionic bonds is true?

• A. In ionic bonds, atoms share electrons.
• B. Ionic bonds are formed by metallic bonding.
• C. Ionic bonds are formed by covalent sharing.
• D. Ionic bonds are held together by electrostatic attraction between cations and anions.

Answer: (D)

Ionic bonding arises from the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions. When a metal atom loses electrons and becomes a positively charged cation, and a nonmetal atom gains those electrons to become a negatively charged anion, the opposite charges attract strongly and hold the ions together in a lattice. This is different from sharing electrons (covalent bonding), where electrons are dispersed between atoms, and different from metallic bonding, where a “sea” of delocalized electrons bonds metal atoms. So the statement that ionic bonds are held together by electrostatic attraction between cations and anions accurately captures the true nature of ionic bonding.