* Electronegativity: Oxygen is much more electronegative than hydrogen. This means oxygen has a much stronger pull on electrons. In a typical ionic bond, one atom (the more electronegative one) completely takes an electron from the other atom, creating oppositely charged ions.
* Hydrogen's Tendency: Hydrogen only has one proton and one electron. It tends to lose its electron and become a positively charged ion (H+) rather than gain an electron to become negatively charged.
What happens instead:
Hydrogen and oxygen form a covalent bond in which they share electrons. This sharing creates a stable molecule, water (H₂O).
Key takeaway: Ionic bonds typically occur between metals and nonmetals due to significant electronegativity differences.
