Which statement describes ionic bonding?

• A. Electrons are shared between atoms.
• B. Electrons are transferred from one atom to another.
• C. The atoms move in a lattice.
• D. Atoms become ions.

Answer: (B)

Ionic bonding is about electron transfer creating oppositely charged ions that attract each other. In this type of bond, a metal tends to lose electrons and become a positive ion, while a nonmetal gains those electrons to become a negative ion. The strong electrostatic attraction between these opposite charges binds the ions together, forming the solid lattice of an ionic compound. That transfer of electrons from one atom to another is the key process that defines ionic bonding.

In contrast, sharing electrons describes covalent bonding, where electrons are shared rather than fully moved, and talking about a lattice describes the arrangement of ions after bonding, not the bonding mechanism itself. Saying atoms become ions is true, but the defining action is the electron transfer that creates those ions and their mutual attraction.