Chemical Bonding and Lewis Structures Flashcards

Vocabulary practice flashcards generated from lecture notes on atomic bonding, valence electrons, Lewis symbols, and molecular structures.

What type of bond involves electron transfer?

Ionic bond

Why do atoms bond?

They bond primarily through transfereing electrons or sharing electrons

What type of bond involves electron sharing?

Covalent bond

Potential Energy in Chemical Bonding

The reduced energy state achieved when electrons and nuclei assemble into a chemical bond, forming products ($A--B$) from reactants ($A + B$).

Core Electrons

The electrons that populate the inner shells of an atom, which fill first because they are lower in energy.

Valence Electrons

The electrons located in the outermost shell of an atom that are responsible for all chemical reactivity.

Periodic Table of the Elements

A tabular arrangement of chemical elements showing groups that indicate the number of valence electrons present in an atom's shell.

Duet Rule

The stability achieved when the innermost electron shell of an atom is filled with 2 electrons.

Octet Rule

The stability achieved when the outermost electron shell of an atom is filled with 8 electrons.

Reactivity Extremes in Valence Shells

Atoms one electron away from achieving a filled valence shell are the most reactive, while atoms with a completely filled valence shell are non-reactive.

Lewis Symbols

Representations of valence electrons as dots placed on separate sides of an elemental symbol first and paired when needed.

Nitrogen Lewis Symbol

The elemental symbol $\text{N}$ surrounded by dots representing its 5 valence electrons.

Helium Lewis Symbol

The elemental symbol $\text{He}$ with 2 paired dots representing its filled duet shell.

Covalent Bonding in Hydrogen ($\text{H}_2$)

The overlap of spherical 1s orbitals forming an egg-shaped region with two shared electrons between nuclei to provide the $1s^2$ configuration of helium.

Shared Pair

A pair of electrons involved in a covalent bond, typically represented in Lewis structures using a straight line.

Double Bond

A covalent bond formed when 4 electrons (2 pairs) are shared between two bonded atoms.

Triple Bond

A covalent bond formed when 6 electrons (3 pairs) are shared between two bonded atoms.

Diatomic Elements

Elements such as $\text{Cl}_2$, $\text{O}_2$, and $\text{N}_2$ that exist naturally as two-atom molecules held together by covalent bonds.

Skeletal Structure Step

The process of placing the most-metallic atom in the center, placing other atoms as terminal, and connecting them using single bonds.

Valence Electron Distribution Step

The process of completing octets by adding remaining valence electrons starting on terminal atoms until running out.

Octet Satisfaction Rule

Using double or triple bonds where needed to satisfy octets, leaving extra electrons on the central atom if it is in the 3rd row or below.

Polyatomic Ion Bracket Rule

The requirement to add surrounding brackets and overall charges when drawing the final Lewis structure for a polyatomic ion.

Methane ($\text{CH}_4$)

A multi-atom molecule consisting of a central Carbon atom single-bonded to four terminal Hydrogen atoms.

Carbon Dioxide ($\text{CO}_2$)

A multi-atom molecule in which Carbon forms double bonds with two terminal Oxygen atoms to satisfy all octets.

Ammonia ($\text{NH}_3$)

A multi-atom molecule with a central Nitrogen atom single-bonded to three terminal Hydrogen atoms and holding one non-bonding lone pair.

Formaldehyde ($\text{CH}_2\text{O}$)

A multi-atom molecule featuring Carbon as the central atom single-bonded to two Hydrogen atoms and double-bonded to an Oxygen atom.

Hydrogen Cyanide ($\text{HCN}$)

A multi-atom molecule featuring Carbon as the central atom single-bonded to Hydrogen and triple-bonded to Nitrogen.

Nitrate Ion ($\text{NO}_3^-$)

A polyatomic ion structure with a central Nitrogen atom, surrounded by brackets with a single negative charge.

Phosphate Ion ($\text{PO}_4^{3-}$)

A polyatomic ion structure with a central Phosphorus atom, surrounded by four terminal Oxygen atoms inside brackets with a $3-$ charge.

Ethane ($\text{C}_2\text{H}_6$)

A multi-atom molecule featuring a central carbon-carbon single bond with six terminal hydrogen atoms completing the octets.

Condensed Structures

Structural notations such as $\text{CH}_3\text{CHO}$, $\text{CH}_3\text{CH}_2\text{COOH}$, and $\text{CH}_3\text{NHCH}_3$ that convey clear structural connectivity information.