Question

How do you determine if a bond is ionic or covalent?

Answer 1

Hint:: On first hand if we are too familiar with periodic table of elements, we will easily notice that the elements in grouping of vertical columns which we call as groups and similarly horizontal rows which we call as period.
Likewise in periodic table here the first three column to the left that is groups $$1,2,3$$ are basically classify as metal due to their varying and low electronegativity value, while the column are far away with exception to extreme ending column that is groups $$5,6,7$$ are basically classify as non-metal due to the high electronegativity value.

Complete answer:
There are a couple different ways we can determine if a bond is an ionic or a covalent by definition, an ionic bond is between metal and nonmetal whereas a covalent bond is between two nonmetals. Therefore whenever we usually just have a view at periodic table and thus we can determine whether the given compound is made of a metal or subsequent nonmetal or it is just two nonmetals.
This exception of a compound is made with ammonium $$N{H_4}^{+}$$ Since ammonium tends to be an ion also it forms ionic compounds. If the given compounds begin with Hydrogen H it’s an acidic by default.
Now when we go straightforward to our question that on how easily we can identify if the unknown compound is ionic or the covalent just by visual inspection for that what we have to do is, we have to look at the compound this way:
Firstly check if the given compound is made of only two elements then if one is a metal that is does it belongs to any of the groups $$1,2,3$$ and the other element a non-metal that is does it belongs to the one of group $$5,6,7$$ then the given compound is most likely to be ionic compound. Example $$NaCl,MgO$$
After that if the compound is made of identical nonmetallic compound or element wise in nature as an example $$O_2,C{l}_2$$ then compound is covalent.
If compound is only made of two elements that we are both nonmetal as an example $$NO,S{O}_2,CC{l}_4,CO$$ the given compound is covalent bonded.
Similarly if the compound is made up of the more than two elements as example $$HN{O}_3,N{a}_{2}C{O}_3,CuS{O}_4.5H_{2}O$$ we may need to adequately break the compound in to dissociating part. We will get result to see that compound is ionic bond.

Note: Note that beforehand there could be some little bit of exception to given examples. Mostly when we have this with the first member of each and every group and because of being smaller in size which in turns make them show substantial deviation from the group behavior. For example when we take $$HCl$$ it's covalent in nature and not ionic.