ionic bond

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ionic bond The bond formed when an electron is transferred from one atom to another. The atom that loses the electron becomes a positively charged ion and the atom that gains the electron becomes a negatively charged ion. A strong electrostatic force then bonds the 2 ions together. The bonding in a sodium chloride crystal (NaCl) is ionic, the crystal lattice containing Na+ ions and Cl- ions. See also COVALENT BOND, HYDROGEN BOND, and METALLIC BOND.

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