Here's a breakdown:
* Ions: Atoms that have gained or lost electrons, resulting in a net positive or negative charge.
* Opposite Charges: Positively charged ions (cations) are attracted to negatively charged ions (anions).
* Electrostatic Attraction: This attraction between opposite charges is what holds the ions together in an ionic bond.
Example:
Sodium (Na) loses an electron to become a positively charged sodium ion (Na+). Chlorine (Cl) gains an electron to become a negatively charged chloride ion (Cl-). The oppositely charged ions then attract each other and form an ionic bond, creating the compound sodium chloride (NaCl), or table salt.
