1) Atoms bond through ionic, covalent, and metallic bonding depending on their positions on the periodic table and electronegativity differences.
2) Ionic bonding occurs between ions and involves electron transfer, covalent bonding involves sharing electrons between atoms, and metallic bonding arises from a "sea" of delocalized electrons between fixed ion cores.
3) Secondary intermolecular forces like hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces provide weaker bonding between molecules.