Question

For each of the following elements, determine if they will form an ionic or a covalent bond.

a) K, Cl
b) C, Br
c) Rb, F
d) Sr, O

Answer 1

K and Cl form an ionic bond, C and Br form a covalent bond, Rb and F form an ionic bond, and Sr and O also form an ionic bond, based on metal and nonmetal combinations.

Step-by-step explanation:

When determining if an element will form an ionic or covalent bond, we look at the types of elements involved. Metals tend to form ionic bonds with nonmetals, while nonmetals tend to form covalent bonds with each other.

• (a) K (potassium) and Cl (chlorine) will form an ionic bond, as K is a metal and Cl is a nonmetal.
• (b) C (carbon) and Br (bromine) will form a covalent bond, as both are nonmetals.
• (c) Rb (rubidium) and F (fluorine) will form an ionic bond, as Rb is a metal and F is a nonmetal.
• (d) Sr (strontium) and O (oxygen) will also form an ionic bond, with Sr being a metal and O a nonmetal.