When carbon bonds with oxygen to form carbon dioxide, what type of chemical bond is primarily formed between the carbon and oxygen atoms?

• A. Metallic bond
• B. Ionic bond
• C. Covalent bond
• D. Hydrogen bond

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the elements involved: carbon (C) and oxygen (O) are both nonmetals.
2. Recall that bonds between nonmetal atoms typically involve sharing electrons, which is characteristic of covalent bonds.
3. Understand that ionic bonds form between metals and nonmetals due to electron transfer, which is not the case here.
4. Recognize that metallic bonds occur between metal atoms, so they do not apply to carbon and oxygen.
5. Note that hydrogen bonds are a type of intermolecular force, not a primary bond between atoms in a molecule.