Which of the following compounds is not likely to have ionic bonds?

• A. NaCl
• B. KBr
• C. MgO
• D. CO2

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the nature of ionic bonds. Ionic bonds typically form between metals and nonmetals where electrons are transferred from the metal to the nonmetal, resulting in positively and negatively charged ions.
2. Step 2: Identify the elements in each compound and classify them as metals or nonmetals. For example, Na (sodium), K (potassium), and Mg (magnesium) are metals, while Cl (chlorine), Br (bromine), and O (oxygen) are nonmetals.
3. Step 3: Analyze each compound to see if it consists of a metal and a nonmetal, which suggests ionic bonding. NaCl, KBr, and MgO all consist of a metal combined with a nonmetal, so they are likely ionic compounds.
4. Step 4: Examine CO2, which consists of carbon and oxygen, both nonmetals. Since it is formed between two nonmetals, the bonding is covalent rather than ionic.
5. Step 5: Conclude that CO2 is not likely to have ionic bonds because it is a molecular compound with covalent bonds, unlike the other compounds which are ionic.