Final answer:
In Al₂O₃, the bonds present are ionic because it is formed between a metal (aluminum) and a nonmetal (oxygen), with aluminum becoming Al3+ and oxygen becoming O2- ions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The molecule in question is Al₂O₃, which is composed of aluminum (Al) and oxygen (O) atoms. Given that aluminum is a metal and oxygen is a nonmetal, and referring to their relative positions in the periodic table, the bonds formed between them are most likely ionic bonds. This is because metals tend to lose electrons and nonmetals tend to gain electrons, leading to the formation of positively charged metal ions (cations) and negatively charged nonmetal ions (anions).
When drawing the Lewis Dot structure for Al₂O₃, aluminum would lose three electrons to achieve a stable octet and oxygen would gain two electrons. Thus, the aluminum atoms become Al3+ ions, and the oxygen atoms become O2- ions. The electrostatic attraction between these oppositely charged ions constitutes the ionic bonds in Al₂O₃.
The best guide to the covalent or ionic character of a bond is to consider the types of atoms involved and their positions in the periodic table. Accordingly, since Al₂O₃ involves a metal bonding with a nonmetal, we conclude that the bonds present in aluminum oxide are ionic.