There are three chief types of bonds or interactions: ionic, covalent, hydrogen bonds. Ionic bonds are considered the strong types of bonds; these interactions require a larger energy input to break apart.

The primary way to determine if a bond is ionic is to see if the bond is between a metal and a nonmetal. Should the bond be between two nonmetals, it is a covalent bond. Chemical experts and others will usually just look at the periodic table and determine whether the compound used in the bonding is made of a metal/nonmetal or is just two nonmetals.

Most experts performing research with organic chemistry have pointed out that ionic bonds are important because they allow the synthesis of specific organic compounds. Scientists can manipulate ionic properties. They will use the interactions to make desired products for people to use. Covalent bonds are also especially important since most carbon molecules interact primarily through covalent bonding. Covalent bonding allows molecules to share electrons with other molecules, creating long chains of compounds and allowing more complexity to exist.

Because covalent bonds are bonds that involve the sharing of electron pairs between atoms, ionic bonds are stronger than covalent bonds. There is a stronger attraction between ions that have opposite charges, which is why it takes a lot of energy to separate them.

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