Ohio Assessment for Educators (OAE) Integrated Science (024) Practice Exam

What type of bond typically forms between metals and nonmetals?

1. Covalent bond

2. Ionic bond

3. Hydrogen bond

4. Metallic bond

The correct answer is: Ionic bond

When metals and nonmetals interact, they typically form ionic bonds. This occurs due to the transfer of electrons from the metal, which tends to lose electrons and become cationic, to the nonmetal, which tends to gain electrons and become anionic. The resulting electrostatic attraction between the positively charged metal ions and negatively charged nonmetal ions creates a strong ionic bond. In contrast, covalent bonds form from the sharing of electrons between nonmetals, and metallic bonds involve the pooling of electrons among a lattice of metal atoms. Hydrogen bonds are weak attractions that occur between molecules, typically involving hydrogen and electronegative atoms like oxygen or nitrogen. Therefore, the formation of ionic bonds is distinctly characteristic of the interaction between metals and nonmetals, making it the correct choice in this context.