Question

If oxygen with an electronegativity of 3.5 were to make a chemical bond with lithium, electronegativity of 1.0, what kind of bond would form

Answer 1

Answer:

Ionic.

Explanation:

Elements with higher electronegativity values are better at attracting electrons in a chemical bond.  

• A chemical bond is considered "ionic" if the electronegativity difference between the two bonding atoms is greater than $1.8$.
• Otherwise, this chemical bond is considered "covalent".

In this example, the difference between the electronegativity of oxygen and lithium is $3.5 - 1.0 = 2.5$. Since $2.5 > 1.8$, the bond between the two elements would likely be ionic.

It is possible to reach the same conclusion based on the fact that lithium is a metal while oxygen is a nonmetal. When metal elements react with non-metal elements, the product is typically an ionic compound- with ionic bonds between the atoms.