Final answer:
The bond that forms between cesium (Cs) and fluorine (F) is an ionic bond due to the large difference in electronegativity between the two elements. Cesium transfers its electron to fluorine, resulting in the formation of ions. In solid state, CsF exhibits nearly 100% ionic character, due to strong electrostatic interactions in the crystal lattice.
Step-by-step explanation:
To predict the type of bond that forms between cesium (Cs) and fluorine (F), we look at the difference in electronegativity between the two elements. Cesium has a very low electronegativity of 0.79, whereas fluorine has the highest electronegativity of all elements, which is 4.0. The large difference in electronegativity typically leads to the formation of an ionic bond, where the electron from cesium is transferred to fluorine, creating a cation (positively charged Cs+) and an anion (negatively charged F-).
Compounds with large electronegativity differences between their constituent atoms, like CsF, often demonstrate a high percent of ionic character. In the case of CsF, which has the largest possible electronegativity difference, the compound in its solid state is best viewed as nearly 100% ionic due to the strong electrostatic interactions in the lattice. However, in the gas phase, even CsF is not 100% ionic because the electrostatic interactions are not as prevalent.