1. Ionic Bonds: Formed by the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions. This occurs when one atom completely transfers one or more electrons to another atom, resulting in a positively charged cation and a negatively charged anion.

* Example: Sodium chloride (NaCl) - Sodium (Na) loses an electron to become a positively charged ion (Na+), while Chlorine (Cl) gains an electron to become a negatively charged ion (Cl-).

2. Covalent Bonds: Formed by the sharing of electrons between two atoms. These bonds can be polar or nonpolar depending on the electronegativity difference between the bonded atoms.

* Example: Water (H2O) - Two hydrogen atoms share electrons with one oxygen atom.

3. Metallic Bonds: Occur between metal atoms, where electrons are delocalized and can move freely throughout the metal lattice. This creates a strong attraction between the positively charged metal ions and the electron sea.

* Example: Copper (Cu) - Copper atoms share their valence electrons, creating a sea of electrons that allows for high electrical conductivity.

In addition to these three main types, there are other types of bonds, such as:

* Hydrogen Bonds: Weak attractions between a hydrogen atom covalently linked to a highly electronegative atom (like oxygen or nitrogen) and another electronegative atom. They are essential for many biological processes.

* Van der Waals forces: Weak attractions between molecules due to temporary fluctuations in electron distribution.