Final answer:
The key difference between ionic and covalent bonds is that ionic bonds involve the transfer of electrons and the formation of ions, whereas covalent bonds involve the sharing of electrons without the formation of ions.Option B, Covalent bonds share electrons and ionic give and take electrons is correct option.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that best describes the difference between ionic and covalent bonds is that ionic bonds involve the transfer of electrons from one atom to another, forming ions, whereas covalent bonds involve the sharing of electrons between atoms. In ionic bonding, an atom will donate one or more electrons to achieve a full valence shell and become positively charged (cation), while another atom will accept those electrons to fill its own valence shell and become negatively charged (anion). In contrast, covalent bonding occurs when two atoms share one or more pairs of electrons to achieve full valence shells and create a stable molecule.
For instance, in the ionic compound NaCl, the sodium (Na) atom transfers an electron to the chlorine (Cl) atom, resulting in Na+ and Cl- ions. In a covalent molecule like H2O, oxygen shares its electrons with two hydrogen atoms to form stable electron pairs. This sharing can be equal between atoms in nonpolar covalent bonds or unequal in polar covalent bonds, depending on the electronegativity of the atoms involved.