An ionic bond is no less of an actual physical bond than a covalent bond. In fact, the only difference between what are called covalent and ionic bonds is in the polarity of the bond.chemstudent123 said:
A chemical bond is a force of attraction between two atoms that holds them together in a molecule.
There are three main types of chemical bonds: ionic bonds, covalent bonds, and metallic bonds. Ionic bonds involve the transfer of electrons between atoms, covalent bonds involve the sharing of electrons between atoms, and metallic bonds involve a sea of delocalized electrons surrounding metal ions.
The strength of a chemical bond is determined by the types of atoms involved, their electronegativity difference, and the distance between them. The greater the electronegativity difference, the stronger the bond, and the closer the atoms are, the stronger the bond.
You can determine the type of bond in a molecule by looking at the electronegativity difference between the atoms. If the difference is greater than 1.7, it is an ionic bond. If the difference is between 0.4 and 1.7, it is a polar covalent bond. If the difference is less than 0.4, it is a nonpolar covalent bond.
Some real-life examples of chemical bonds include the bond between sodium and chlorine in table salt (ionic bond), the bond between hydrogen and oxygen in water (polar covalent bond), and the bond between carbon and hydrogen in methane gas (nonpolar covalent bond).