Is lithium hydride, ionic or covalent bonding?

Lithium hydride (LiH) exhibits predominantly ionic bonding. Ionic bonding occurs between atoms with significantly different electronegativities, resulting in the transfer of electrons from one atom to another. In the case of lithium hydride, lithium (Li) has a low electronegativity, and hydrogen (H) has a higher electronegativity. As a result, lithium tends to lose an electron to become a positively charged ion (Li+), while hydrogen gains an electron to become a negatively charged ion (H-).

This transfer of electrons creates a strong electrostatic attraction between the positively and negatively charged ions, leading to the formation of an ionic compound. In the solid state, lithium hydride consists of a three-dimensional lattice of alternating lithium cations and hydride anions, held together by these electrostatic forces.