Question

The nature of the chemical bond in MgO is:

• A. electrovalent
• B. covalent
• C. dative
• D. polar covalent

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

electrovalent

$Mg$ is a metal and completes its octet by the loss of $e^{-}$. Oxygen is a non-metal and completes its octet by gain of$e^{-}$. So, the formation of $MgO$ involves a transfer of an electron from metal to non-metal. Hence, the bonding is electrovalent.