What type of bond is formed between a metal and a nonmetal?

When a metal and a nonmetal interact, they tend to form an ionic bond. This type of bond occurs due to the significant difference in electronegativity between the two elements involved. Metals, which are found on the left side of the periodic table, typically have few valence electrons that they can lose easily. Nonmetals, located on the right side of the periodic table, usually have a higher electronegativity, meaning they have a strong tendency to gain electrons.

In the formation of an ionic bond, the metal atom donates one or more of its electrons to the nonmetal atom. This transfer of electrons results in the formation of ions: the metal becomes a positively charged cation, while the nonmetal becomes a negatively charged anion. The electrostatic attraction between these oppositely charged ions creates a strong bond, resulting in the formation of ionic compounds.

This contrasts with covalent bonds, which involve the sharing of electrons between atoms, and are more characteristic of interactions between nonmetals or between nonmetals and metalloids. Nonpolar and polar covalent bonds are types of covalent bonds differentiated by the electronegativity difference between the atoms involved. However, since we are specifically discussing bonds between a