In ionic bonding, which statement describes electron transfer?

• A. A metallic ion gives up electrons and a nonmetallic ion takes electrons
• B. Electrons are shared between atoms
• C. Electrons are created
• D. Electrons are destroyed

Answer: (A)

In ionic bonding, electrons move from one atom to another, creating oppositely charged ions that are held together by their electrical attraction. A metal tends to lose electrons to reach a stable configuration, forming a positively charged ion, while a nonmetal tends to gain electrons to fill its outer shell, forming a negatively charged ion. The idea that a metallic ion gives up electrons and a nonmetallic ion takes electrons describes this transfer precisely. Once formed, the cation and anion attract each other, creating the strong bond between them.

The other descriptions don’t fit ionic bonding: sharing electrons is what happens in covalent bonds, and electrons aren’t created or destroyed in bonding—they’re simply rearranged.