HAZMAT Technician Practice Exam

What defines materials made through the sharing or transfer of electrons?

1. Ionic compounds

2. Covalent compounds

3. Metallic compounds

4. Hydrogen compounds

The correct answer is: Ionic compounds

The correct answer reflects that ionic compounds are characterized by the transfer of electrons between atoms. In ionic bonding, one atom typically donates one or more electrons to another atom, creating ions; the donor becomes a positively charged ion (cation) and the recipient becomes a negatively charged ion (anion). The electrostatic attraction between these oppositely charged ions forms the basis of the ionic compound. This process of electron transfer is a fundamental defining feature of ionic compounds, allowing for the formation of solid structures with high melting and boiling points. This characteristic distinguishes ionic compounds from other types of chemical bonding, such as covalent bonds, where electrons are shared between atoms, and metallic bonds, which involve a sea of delocalized electrons among metal atoms. Hydrogen compounds do not specifically pertain to electron transfer or sharing in the same way and instead often operate under different bonding principles.