Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry

These flashcards cover key concepts related to chemical bonding and molecular geometry, focusing on bonds, properties, electronegativity, and Lewis structures.

What is an ionic bond?

An ionic bond is formed by the electrostatic forces between cations (metals) and anions (nonmetals), resulting from the transfer of electrons.

What is a covalent bond?

A covalent bond is formed between two nonmetals when they share valence electrons.

What is the main difference between ionic and covalent bonds in terms of electron transfer?

Ionic bonds involve the transferring of electrons, while covalent bonds involve the sharing of electrons.

What properties are characteristic of ionic compounds?

Ionic compounds are crystalline, have high melting and boiling points, are generally poor conductors of electricity in solid state, but excellent conductors when dissolved or melted.

What properties are characteristic of covalent compounds?

Covalent compounds generally have lower melting and boiling points, can be liquids or gases at room temperature, and are poor conductors of electricity.

Define electronegativity.

Electronegativity is the tendency of an atom to attract bonding electrons to itself in a chemical bond.

How does electronegativity affect bond type?

The greater the electronegativity difference between two bonding atoms, the more polar the bond.

What is the octet rule?

The octet rule is the tendency of main group atoms to form enough bonds to obtain eight valence electrons in their outermost shell.

What are lone pairs in the context of chemical bonding?

Lone pairs are pairs of valence electrons that are not shared in bonding but belong to a particular atom.

What is a resonance structure?

A resonance structure represents two or more Lewis structures that have the same arrangement of atoms but different arrangements of electrons.

What is the significance of formal charge in Lewis structures?

Formal charge helps determine the best resonance structure by highlighting the most stable arrangement of electrons.

What are the three exceptions to the octet rule?

The three exceptions are incomplete octets, expanded octets, and odd-electron species.