Answer:
(a) Covalent bond. NF₃ (nitrogen trifluoride)
(b) Ionic bond. LiCl (lithium chloride)
Explanation:
(a) N and F
Nitrogen and fluorine are nonmetals, with high and similar electronegativities, so they form covalent bonds, in which they share pairs of electrons to complete the octet in their valence shell. N has 5 valence electrons so it will form 3 covalent bonds while each Cl has 7 valence electrons so it will form 1 covalent bond. As a result, the empirical formula is NF₃ (nitrogen trifluoride).
(b) Li and Cl
Lithium is a metal and Chlorine is a nonmetal. They have different electronegativities so they form an ionic bond, in which Cl gains 1 electron (7 valence e⁻) and Li loses 1 electron (1 valence e⁻). The empirical formula is LiCl (lithium chloride).