The short answer is that they are not always weaker in fact. Some ionic compounds have very strong bonds, while some covalent bonds are quite weak. Usually however, it is easier to break an ionic bond than a covalent one. What determines the actual strength of a bond is quite complex, but let me try to explain the basic principles. Bonding has everything to do with electrons. In ionic bonds, an element loses an electron to another element. The two elements are then bonded by a force of attraction based on electrostatics, or Coulombic force; it is due to the fact that a positive charge and a negative charge attract each other (like the two opposite ends of a magnet). Since one element has a negative charge and the other has a positive charge they are held together in a bond. I will give an