ETS Major Field Test Chemistry Practice Test

Ionic compounds are formed from the electrostatic attraction between positively and negatively charged ions. This attraction creates ionic bonds, which are the primary forces holding the ions together in an ionic compound.

These ionic bonds arise due to the transfer of electrons from one atom (typically a metal) to another (usually a non-metal), leading to the generation of charged ions. The strong electrostatic forces between these oppositely charged ions result in a stable lattice structure characteristic of ionic compounds.

While other types of interactions, such as hydrogen bonds or Van der Waals forces, may be present in different contexts, they do not apply to the fundamental bonding within ionic compounds. Covalent bonds involve the sharing of electrons between atoms, which is not the case in the formation of ionic compounds. Thus, the presence of ionic bonds is the definitive feature that accurately describes the intermolecular forces in ionic compounds.