Chemical Bonding and VSEPR Shapes

Vocabulary practice cards covering types of chemical bonds, electronegativity concepts, charge rules, and VSEPR molecular shapes.

Chemical Bonding Types

Variations of bonding—including ionic, covalent, polar covalent, metallic, acids, and polyatomics—that depend on how electrons move, transfer, or are shared.

Covalent Bond

A bond that happens when atoms share their electrons to fill their valence shell.

Ionic Bond

A bond that occurs when atoms give up or take an electron to fill their shell.

Electronegativity

A number used to determine the pull that an atom has on an electron, whether it loses or gains an electron, and whether a bond is polar or not.

Positive Charge ($+$)

A charge characterized by lower electronegativity, resulting in the loss of electrons.

Negative Charge ($-$)

A charge characterized by higher electronegativity, resulting in the gain of electrons.

Linear Shape

A VSEPR geometry in a line consisting of $2$ atoms bonded.

Trigonal Planar

A VSEPR shape defined by $3$ bonds onto a central atom.

Angular / Bent Shape

A VSEPR shape defined by $2$ lone pairs and $2$ atoms bonded.

Tetrahedral

A VSEPR shape defined by $4$ bonds on a central atom.

Trigonal Pyramidal

A VSEPR shape defined by $1$ lone pair and $3$ atoms bonded.

Trigonal Bipyramidal

A VSEPR shape defined by $5$ atoms bonded.

Octahedral

A VSEPR shape defined by $6$ atoms bonded.