The correct statement comparing ionic and covalent bonds is:
Covalent bonds tend to be less polar than ionic bonds.
Here's a brief explanation of each statement:
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More electrons are involved in forming covalent bonds than ionic bonds. - This is incorrect. Covalent bonds usually involve the sharing of a pair of electrons between two atoms, whereas ionic bonds typically involve the transfer of one or more electrons from one atom to another.
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Covalent bonds tend to be less polar than ionic bonds. - This is correct. Ionic bonds result from a complete transfer of electrons, leading to a more significant charge separation and greater polarity than covalent bonds, which involve sharing electrons that can vary in polarity based on the difference in electronegativity.
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Covalent bonds have a greater difference in electronegativities between atoms than ionic bonds. - This is incorrect. Ionic bonds usually form between atoms with a large difference in electronegativity (generally greater than 1.7), while covalent bonds usually form between atoms with a smaller difference in electronegativity.
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Group IA elements are more likely to form covalent bonds than ionic bonds with other atoms. - This is also incorrect. Group IA elements (alkali metals) typically lose one electron to form positive ions and are more likely to form ionic bonds with nonmetals.
So, the correct choice is that covalent bonds tend to be less polar than ionic bonds.
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