What describes ionic bonds?

Ionic bonds are best described as the electrostatic attraction between positive and negative ions. This type of bond forms when one atom donates an electron to another atom, resulting in the formation of charged ions: the atom that loses the electron becomes a positively charged cation, while the atom that gains the electron becomes a negatively charged anion. The strong electrostatic forces between these oppositely charged ions hold them together in a stable compound.

In contrast, the other options do not describe ionic bonds accurately. Covalent bonds are characterized by the sharing of electrons between atoms rather than the transfer that occurs in ionic bonds. Metallic bonds involve a sea of delocalized electrons that are shared among many metal atoms, which is also distinctly different from the nature of ionic bonds. Lastly, repulsion between similarly charged ions, such as cations or anions, would not contribute to the formation of bonds; instead, it would disrupt the stability of any ionic interactions. Hence, the defining characteristic of ionic bonds lies in the attractive forces between charged ions.