Covalent bonding

• What is covalent bonding?

  The strong electrostatic attraction between a shared pair of electrons and the nuclei of the bonded atoms.
• What types of metals does covalent bonds form between?

  Between non-metals.
• What is a covalent bond in terms of orbitals.?

  The overlap of atomic orbitals, containing one electron, to give a shared pair of electrons.
• What is the attraction like in a covalent bond?

  It is localised, acting solely between the shared pair of electrons and the nuclei of the two bonded atoms.
• What is formed in a covalent bond? Consisting?

  A molecule, consisting of two or more atoms.
• What are used to represent covalent bonding?

  Dot-and-cross diagrams.
• How many covalent bonds do hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon form?

  1. Hydrogen: 1 bond.

  2. Oxygen: 2 bonds.

  3. Nitrogen: 3 bonds.

  4. Carbon: 4 bonds.
• What is a 'multiple covalent bond'?

  When two atoms share more than one pair of electrons.
• What happens in double covalent bonds?

  The electrostatic attraction is between two shared pairs of electrons and the nuclei of the bonding atoms.
• What happens in triple covalent bonds?

  The electrostatic attraction is between three shared pairs of electrons and the nuclei of the bonding atoms.
• What is a dative covalent bond?

  A covalent bond in which a shared pair of electrons is supplied by one of the bonding atoms only.
• In a dative covalent bond, where was the shared electron pair originally?


  It was originally a lone pair of electrons of one of the bonded atoms.