Chemistry Chapter 6: Bonding

A series of flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the chemistry lecture on bonding.

Ionic Bonding

A type of bonding characterized by the transfer of electrons from one atom to another, resulting in the formation of oppositely charged ions.

Covalent Bonding

A type of bonding where atoms share pairs of electrons to achieve stable configurations.

Lewis Structures

Diagrams that show the bonding between atoms of a molecule and the lone pairs of electrons that may exist.

Octet Rule

The principle that atoms tend to bond in a way that gives them eight valence electrons, resulting in a stable electron configuration.

Electrostatic Attraction

The force of attraction between oppositely charged ions that helps to form ionic bonds.

Ionic Lattice

A three-dimensional arrangement of ions in a crystal structure, held together by ionic bonds.

Formal Charge

A theoretical charge assigned to an atom in a molecule, calculated by comparing the number of valence electrons with the electrons assigned to the atom in a Lewis structure.

Polar Bonds

Covalent bonds in which the electrons are shared unequally between the bonded atoms, resulting in partial charges.

Resonance Structures

Structures that represent a molecule or ion when a single Lewis structure is inadequate to describe it.

Dipole Moment

A quantity that measures the separation of positive and negative charges in a polar bond.

Radicals

Molecules that contain unpaired electrons, which are typically very reactive.

Expanded Octet

A situation in which an atom in the third period or beyond can accommodate more than eight electrons.

Bonding Continuum

The range of characteristics observed in bonds from nonpolar to ionic, depending on the differences in electronegativity.

Noble Gas Configuration

The electron configuration of a noble gas, which is often the goal when atoms form ionic or covalent bonds.

Electronegativity

A measure of an atom's ability to attract shared electrons in a bond.

Lone Pair Electrons

Valence electrons that are not involved in bonding and are localized on one atom.

Duet Rule

The principle that hydrogen and helium atoms are stable with two electrons in their outer shell.