positive charge) by a transfer of its one valence 3s electron to a chlorine atom. After
such a transfer, the chlorine ion has a net negative charge and an electron configuration
identical to that of argon. In sodium chloride, all the sodium and chlorine
exist as ions. This type of bonding is illustrated schematically in Figure 2.9.
The attractive bonding forces are coulombic; that is, positive and negative ions,
by virtue of their net electrical charge, attract one another. For two isolated ions,
the attractive energy EA is a function of the interatomic distance according to3