Which statement best describes ionic bonding in lithium fluoride?
A) The positive and negative charges of the ions cancel out.
B) A lithium atom shares on electron with a fluorine atom/
C) An electron is transferred from a lithium atom to a fluorine atom.
D) An electrostatic attraction exists between lithium ions and fluoride ions.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct answer is:
C) An electron is transferred from a lithium atom to a fluorine atom.
Explanation:
Ionic bonding occurs when one atom transfers an electron to another atom, resulting in the formation of positive and negative ions. Lithium fluoride (LiF) is a classic example of ionic bonding.
- Lithium atom (Li) is a metal and has one electron in its outermost shell. It tends to lose this electron to achieve a stable electron configuration, resembling the nearest noble gas, helium.
- Fluorine atom (F) is a nonmetal with seven electrons in its outermost shell. It needs one more electron to complete its octet and achieve a stable electron configuration, similar to neon.
When lithium (Li) loses its valence electron, it becomes a positively charged ion ((Li^+)). This electron is transferred to the fluorine atom, which gains the electron and becomes a negatively charged ion ((F^-)).
As a result, the lithium ion ((Li^+)) and the fluoride ion ((F^-)) are formed. The oppositely charged ions are held together by electrostatic forces, also known as ionic bonds. This strong attraction between the positive and negative ions is what makes the compound stable.
The Other Choices:
- A) The positive and negative charges of the ions cancel out. This is not an accurate description of ionic bonding. The charges of the ions do not cancel each other but rather balance out when they form a neutral compound (e.g., in LiF, one (Li^+) balances one (F^-)).
- B) A lithium atom shares one electron with a fluorine atom. This describes covalent bonding, not ionic bonding. In covalent bonding, atoms share electrons, which is not the case here.
- D) An electrostatic attraction exists between lithium ions and fluoride ions. While this is true, it does not fully explain how the bonding occurs. The key process in ionic bonding is the transfer of electrons, not just the attraction between ions.
Thus, C) An electron is transferred from a lithium atom to a fluorine atom best describes the ionic bonding in lithium fluoride.