Question 21
What is the fundamental difference between covalent and ionic
bonding?
In a covalent bond, the partners share a pair of electrons; in
an ionic bond, one partner accepts electrons from the other.
Covalent bonds form between atoms of the same element; ionic
bonds form between atoms of different elements.
Covalent bonding involves only the outermost electron shell;
ionic bonding also involves the next electron shell inside the
outermost shell.
In covalent bonding, both partners end up with filled...