The Ionic Bond The ionic bond results from the attraction of
oppositely charged ions. The atoms of metallic elements, e.g.,
those of sodium, lose their outer electrons easily, while the
atoms of nonmetals, e.g., those of chlorine, tend to gain
electrons. The highly stable ions that result retain their
individual structures as they approach one another to form a
stable molecule or crystal. In an ionic crystal like sodium
chloride, no discrete diatomic molecules exist; rather, the
crystal is composed of independent Na+ and Cl - ions, each of
which is attracted to neighboring ions of the opposite charge.
Thus the entire crystal is a single giant molecule. Sections in
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