An ionic bond is the electrostatic attraction between two oppositely charged ions that results from electron transfer during a chemical reaction. Key points

• Formation: A metal atom tends to lose one or more electrons to become a positively charged ion (cation), while a nonmetal tends to gain electrons to become a negatively charged ion (anion). The resulting cation and anion attract each other strongly, forming an ionic bond.

• Resulting compound: Ionic bonds typically produce solid crystalline lattices (salts) with high melting and boiling points due to the strong electrostatic forces between ions.

• Example: Sodium (Na) transfers an electron to chlorine (Cl), yielding Na+ and Cl−, which attract to form sodium chloride (NaCl).

• Properties: Ionic compounds are usually brittle as solids, conduct electricity when dissolved in water or melted, and have high lattice energies that reflect the strength of the ionic interaction.

• Notable note: While simple, the concept is widely described across credible sources from general chemistry texts to educational overviews.

If you’d like, I can tailor this explanation to a specific level (high school, introductory college chemistry) or add a quick visual example showing electron transfer and lattice formation.