What term describes a bond that is between two different nonmetals with a slight difference in electronegativity?

A polar covalent bond is formed when two different nonmetals share electrons, but there is a slight difference in their electronegativities. Electronegativity refers to the tendency of an atom to attract electrons when forming a bond. When the difference in electronegativity between the two nonmetals is significant but not enough to completely transfer electrons—meaning one atom draws the shared electrons closer to itself than the other—the result is a polar covalent bond.

In this type of bond, the unequal sharing of electrons leads to the formation of a dipole, where one end of the bond has a slight negative charge (the atom that attracts the electrons more) and the other end has a slight positive charge (the atom that attracts the electrons less). This creates a molecule with distinct poles, which is characteristic of polar covalent bonding.

The other types of bonds listed do not accurately represent the interaction between two different nonmetals with a slight difference in electronegativity. Ionic bonds typically occur between metals and nonmetals with a large electronegativity difference, leading to full electron transfer rather than sharing. Nonpolar covalent bonds occur when the electronegativity difference is minimal or nonexistent, resulting in equal sharing of electrons