Covalent bonding

What is covalent bonding

It is the strong electrostatic attraction between a shared pair of electrons and the nuclei of the bonded atoms.

This attraction is localised so is only between the shared pair of electrons and the nuclei of the two bonded atoms.

Paired electrons which are not bonded are called what

Lone pairs of electrons, they are not involved in chemical bonding and provide a concentrated region of negativity

What is a dative covalent or coordinate bond

• This is a pair of electrons which has been provided by one of the bonding atoms only

• The shared pair was originally a lone pair on the atom which provided the electrons and it adds with a electron pair acceptor such as H⁺

What is a better rule than the octet rule

Unpaired electrons will pair up which leads to a lower-energy and more stable arrangement. An atom can only form enough electron pairs to fill its outer shell.

What are valence electrons

These are electrons which are most likely to react, they are in the outer shell, furthest from the nucleus and less strongly attracted to the nucleus. They are the easiest to lose, gain or share.

What are p-block elements and their importance

They are element group 15-18 period 3 down. They are important as their valence electrons are in p orbitals meaning they can form directional covalent bonds, multiple bonds, and lone pairs, leading to a wide variety of molecular shapes, oxidation states, and chemical behaviour.”

What is bond enthalpy

It is a measurement if bond strength the larger the enthalpy the stronger the covalent bond.