StatGardenREF. DESK
Calculators/Chemistry/Percent ionic character
Chemistry

Percent ionic character calculator

Ionic character of a bond estimated from the electronegativity difference.

What this calculator does

Percent ionic character works out ionic character of a bond estimated from the electronegativity difference. Enter your own figures above and the answer updates as you type: nothing is fixed in the code, so the result reflects exactly the numbers you supply.

The formula this calculator evaluates is printed under the tool and explained below, so you can check the working by hand or reuse it in a spreadsheet.

The formula

FormulaI = 100 × (1 − e^(−(Δχ/2)²))

The inputs explained

FieldWhat to enter
Electronegativity of atom AA number. Starts at 3.16.
Electronegativity of atom BA number. Starts at 2.2.

Worked examples

Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.

How the answer changes with electronegativity of atom a

Every other input is held at the calculator’s starting values while electronegativity of atom a varies. Select any row to load that scenario into the calculator.

How the answer changes with electronegativity of atom a
Electronegativity of atom APercent ionic characterElectronegativity difference ΔχBond character
1.589.16%0.62polar covalent
2.370.720%0.17nonpolar covalent
3.1620.6%0.96polar covalent
4.7480.1%2.54mostly ionic
6.3298.6%4.12mostly ionic
9.48100.0%7.28mostly ionic