Covalent bonds are in the air you breathe and the water you drink. How are covalent bonds formed?
A. Between atoms with more electrons than protons
B. Between atoms that share electrons
C. Between atoms with more neutrons than protons
Answer (3)
A covalent bond, also called a molecular bond, is a chemical bond that involves the sharing of electron pairs between atoms. These electron pairs are known as shared pairs or bonding pairs, and the stable balance of attractive and repulsive forces between atoms, when they share electrons, is known as covalent bonding. Therefore, option B is the correct answer.
Covalent bonds are formed by the sharing of electrons between atoms, enabling them to fill their outer electron shells and create more stable molecules, such as water. The correct option is B.
Covalent bonds are formed when atoms share electrons to achieve a more stable electron configuration. The process of covalent bonding does not involve the permanent transfer of electrons, unlike ionic bonding. Instead, atoms share electrons equally or unequally to fill their outer electron shells—creating either non-polar or polar covalent bonds, respectively.
When two hydrogen atoms bond with an oxygen atom to form water ( H₂O ), a classic example of a molecule with polar covalent bonds is formed. Each hydrogen atom shares its one electron with oxygen, and oxygen, in turn, shares one of its six outer-shell electrons with each hydrogen atom. This sharing allows the outer shell of all three atoms to be more completely filled, creating a more stable molecule. Such sharing of electrons forms a strong connection between the atoms, this is the nature of covalent bonds which are typically stronger than ionic bonds.
Covalent bonds are formed when atoms share electrons, allowing them to achieve greater stability. These bonds can involve one or more pairs of shared electrons, resulting in single, double, or triple bonds. Using water (H₂O) as an example, covalent bonding illustrates how atoms can come together to form stable molecules.
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