What's the difference in electron dot structures for ionic and covalent bonds? and YELP_BOND-51

What's the difference in electron dot structures for ionic and covalent bonds?

How do I know if a compound is ionic or covalent?
What is th difference in ionic bond dot structures and covalent bond dot structures?
Please can you explain this to me? It's new to me and just need some clarification
Thanks!


Bond best answer:

Answer by Lisa Morgan
There's no difference in lewis dot structures. Lewis structures only tell you where the electrons are.
Bonds are ionic or covalent based on how the elements bond (whether they are simply attracted by opposite charge or whether they share electrons). If they share electrons, polarity is then based on electronegativity differences between atoms.
In general, if electronegativity differences are less than 0.5, the bond is ionic; from 0.5 to 1.4, covalent, and 1.5 and above = polar covalent.
Here's a periodic table of electronegativity.
http://teacher.shaker.k12.nh.us/ahayward/Images/EN%20Periodic%20Table.jpg

Here's an animation that might help. (You'll have to sit thru the 30sec ad, but it's worth it)
http://video.about.com/chemistry/Ionic-v-Covalent-Chemical-Bond.htm

Hope this helps. Good luck.

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