What term describes a compound composed of ions bound together by electrostatic attraction?

• A. Polyatomic Ion
• B. Ionic Compound
• C. Lewis Structure
• D. Metallic Bonding

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is that a substance is held together by the attraction between oppositely charged ions. When a compound forms from cations and anions that attract each other electrostatically, the result is an ionic compound. This explains why such materials often form crystalline lattices with high melting points and distinct properties like poor conductivity in the solid state but good conductivity when molten or dissolved. A polyatomic ion is simply an ion made of more than one atom, not a description of the whole material. A Lewis structure is a way to show how valence electrons are arranged, not the type of bonding that binds a solid. Metallic bonding describes a lattice of metal atoms sharing a delocalized electron sea, which is different from ionic bonding.