What characterizes an ionic bond?

An ionic bond is characterized by the transfer of electrons from one atom to another, leading to the formation of charged ions. This typically occurs between metals and non-metals, where the metal atom donates one or more of its electrons to become a positively charged cation, while the non-metal atom gains those electrons to become a negatively charged anion. The electrostatic attraction between these oppositely charged ions results in the formation of an ionic bond.

In contrast to sharing electrons, which is characteristic of covalent bonding, ionic bonds rely on this complete transfer of electrons, resulting in a strong electrostatic force that holds the ions together. The resulting ionic compounds often form crystalline structures with high melting and boiling points. The other choices do not accurately represent the nature of ionic bonds; the sharing of electrons pertains to covalent bonds, overlapping orbitals relate to molecular orbital theory, and the formation of molecular structures is associated with covalent compounds rather than ionic ones.