The correct statement comparing ionic and covalent bonds is:
Covalent bonds tend to be less polar than ionic bonds.
Explanation:
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Ionic bonds typically form between elements with a significant difference in electronegativity (usually greater than 1.7), leading to a complete transfer of electrons from one atom to another, resulting in charged ions. This makes ionic bonds quite polar.
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On the other hand, covalent bonds involve the sharing of electrons between atoms and can vary in polarity. Nonpolar covalent bonds occur when atoms share electrons equally, while polar covalent bonds occur when there is a moderate difference in electronegativity. However, covalent bonds in general are less polar than ionic bonds.
The other statements are incorrect for the following reasons:
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"Group IA elements are more likely to form covalent bonds than ionic bonds with other atoms." - Group IA (alkali metals) typically form ionic bonds, especially with nonmetals.
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"Covalent bonds have a greater difference in electronegativities between atoms than ionic bonds." - Ionic bonds have a greater difference in electronegativities.
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"More electrons are involved in forming covalent bonds than ionic bonds." - Ionic bonds usually involve the transfer of one or more electrons but do not involve sharing them, while covalent bonds can share varying numbers of electrons. The comparison of "more" electrons is context-dependent and inherently unfounded without specific scenarios.