Question

Which of these pairs would form an ionic bond?

K and Br
C and H
H and O
Cu and Cu

Answers

GPT-4o mini
An ionic bond typically forms between a metal and a nonmetal, where one atom transfers electrons to another, resulting in the formation of positively and negatively charged ions.

In the pairs you provided:

1. **K and Br**: Potassium (K) is a metal and Bromine (Br) is a nonmetal. They would form an ionic bond because K would lose an electron and Br would gain an electron.

2. **C and H**: Carbon (C) and Hydrogen (H) are both nonmetals, so they form covalent bonds rather than ionic bonds.

3. **H and O**: Hydrogen (H) and Oxygen (O) are both nonmetals, and they typically form covalent bonds, though they can also engage in ionic interactions under specific conditions (like in acids).

4. **Cu and Cu**: Copper (Cu) is a metal, but two metal atoms will not form an ionic bond; they would typically form a metallic bond instead.

Thus, the pair that would form an ionic bond is **K and Br**.