What is characterized by the transfer of electrons between atoms?

The correct choice is characterized by the transfer of electrons between atoms is ionic bonding. In ionic bonding, one atom donates one or more of its electrons to another atom, leading to the formation of charged ions. This typically occurs between elements with significantly different electronegativities, such as metals and nonmetals. The metal atom loses electrons to become a positively charged cation, while the nonmetal atom gains those electrons to become a negatively charged anion. The electrostatic attraction between these oppositely charged ions results in the formation of an ionic bond.

In contrast, covalent bonding involves the sharing of electrons between atoms, which does not include the transfer characteristic. Metallic bonding involves a sea of shared electrons among a lattice of metal atoms, allowing for properties such as conductivity. Hydrogen bonding is a type of weak intermolecular force that occurs between molecules containing hydrogen and highly electronegative atoms, rather than a true bond involving the transfer of electrons between atoms. This understanding clarifies why ionic bonding, with its central feature of electron transfer, is the correct answer.