Question

Which of the following contains both ionic and covalent bonding?

Answer 1

I believe the correct answer from the choices listed above is the first option. The compound that contains both ionic and covalent bonding is KOH or potassium hydroxide. It contains one covalent (O-H) and one that is ionic (K-O). Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Answer: KOH

Explanation:

Being KOH the only not binary compound it is the candidate to be the one with two different type of bondings.

In fact, KOH is a ionic compound because the cation K⁺ forms a ionic bond with the anion OH⁻.

On the other hand, the oxigen and hydrogen atoms in OH⁻ are covalently bonded.

The ionic bond is the result of the union of two atoms with a high elecronegativity difference, while the covalent bonding is the result of a combination of two atoms whose electronegativities is not so different.

Being K and alkali metal (the elements with lowest electronegativity) and OH⁻ an anion, they easily form the ionic bond.

From tables, the electronegativity of H is 2.20 and the electronegativity of O is 3.16, which leads to a difference of 3.16 - 2.20 = 0.96. This difference is not enough to form ions but covalent bonds. That is why the bond O-H is covalent.

When you analyze the bonds of the other choices, N-O, C-H, and H-Br, y ou conclude that the electronegativities lead to covalent bonds too.