An ionic compound A^+B^- is most likely to be formed when : — Chemical Bonding Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

Step 1: Ionic bond formation involves the complete transfer of an electron from atom A to atom B to produce stable ions. Step 2: The energy barrier for removing an electron from A is minimized if the ionization energy of A is very low. The energy released when B gains an electron is maximized if the electron affinity of B is very high. Step 3: Therefore, the formation of an ionic compound is most thermodynamically favorable when A has low ionization energy and B has high electron affinity, matching option (b).