Aluminum is a metal and nitrate (nitrogen) is a non metal so shouldn't they form an ionic bond and not a covalnt bond? And if it were an ionic bond wouldn't it be called aluminum mononitrate? But it is a covalnt bond (thus a molecular bond and so there is no mono in the name). Pleas help I'm very confused!
Aluminum Nitrate Ionic Or Covalent
The questioner probably means aluminium nitride, AlN, which has substantial covalent character due to massive polarisation of the large nitride ions by the small and highly charged Al3+ ions.
You have the advantage here. As far as I know, the compound is ionic with one Al^+3 ion and three NO3^-1 ions. There have to be 3 negative ions to balance the charge of +3 on the aluminum ion to make a neutral formula unit
