What type of bond represents the attraction between an anion and a cation?

The attraction between an anion (negatively charged ion) and a cation (positively charged ion) is characteristic of an ionic bond. This type of bond occurs when one atom donates an electron to another atom, resulting in the formation of ions. The electrostatic force of attraction between the positively charged cation and the negatively charged anion is what holds them together in an ionic bond.

Ionic bonds are fundamentally different from covalent bonds, which involve the sharing of electrons between atoms, rather than the transfer of electrons that leads to the formation of charged ions. Additionally, hydrogen bonds are a type of weak attraction that occurs between a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a more electronegative atom and another electronegative atom. Polar bonds refer to a specific type of covalent bond where electrons are shared unequally, leading to partial charges, but this does not involve the full charge separation seen in ionic interactions. Therefore, the correct identification of this bond as ionic is fundamental to understanding the nature of ionic compounds and their behavior in chemical reactions.