Final answer:
Ionic bonding creates a compound through the transfer of electrons from a metal to a non-metal, resulting in oppositely charged ions that electrostatically bond to form a crystalline structure.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ionic bonding forms a compound through the transfer of electrons from a metal to a non-metal, creating ions with opposite charges that are electrostatically attracted to one another. In contrast to covalent bonding, where electrons are shared between atoms with similar electron attraction tendencies, ionic compounds involve a full electron transfer. This results in one atom (typically a metal) becoming a positively charged cation and another atom (typically a non-metal) becoming a negatively charged anion. Subsequently, these ions form a crystalline compound where each ion is balanced by ions of the opposite charge, leading to the overall electrical neutrality of the compound.
For example, sodium (Na), a metal, will donate its outer electron to chlorine (Cl), a non-metal, resulting in a positively charged sodium ion (Na+) and a negatively charged chloride ion (Cl-). The sodium ions and chloride ions then come together to form the crystalline structure of sodium chloride (NaCl), which is common table salt. The structure of ionic compounds tends to be rigid and ordered, forming a crystal lattice.