Final answer:
When a metal and a nonmetal react to form a compound, the compound can be expected to have ionic bonding, as seen in salts like sodium chloride. Ionic compounds are characterized by their crystalline structure, brittleness, and high melting points.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a metal and a nonmetal react to form a compound, the resulting compound can generally be expected to exhibit ionic bonding. This is because metals tend to donate their electrons to nonmetals during the chemical reaction, forming ions. The compound is typically known as a salt and is composed of positively charged cations (from the metal) and negatively charged anions (from the nonmetal). Salts are usually rigid, brittle, crystalline substances with high melting points. On the other hand, covalent bonding usually occurs between nonmetals, where electrons are shared rather than transferred.
For example, the compound formed from sodium (a metal) and chlorine (a nonmetal) is sodium chloride (NaCl), an ionic compound. This type of compound does not generally have metallic properties nor does it exhibit covalent bonding. Instead, it is characterized by its strong ionic bonds and typically nonmetallic properties such as being crystalline and having high melting points.