Chemical Bonding

What is a stable electronic configuration?

A configuration with a fully filled valence shell of electrons.

What is a duplet structure?

A stable electronic configuration with 2 electrons in the valence shell.

What is an octet structure?

A stable electronic configuration with 8 electrons in the valence shell.

Why do atoms bond?

To achieve a stable electronic configuration similar to that of noble gases.

What is an ionic bond?

The electrostatic force of attraction between oppositely charged ions.

What is an ionic compound?

A compound formed by the transfer of valence electrons from metal atoms to non-metal atoms, producing positive and negative ions.

What is a cation?

A positively charged ion formed when an atom loses electrons.

What is an anion?

A negatively charged ion formed when an atom gains electrons.

What is a lattice structure in ionic compounds?

A giant 3D regular arrangement of oppositely charged ions held by electrostatic forces.

What is a formula unit?

The simplest ratio of cations and anions in an ionic lattice that has no overall charge.

What is a polyatomic ion?

A charged particle consisting of covalently bonded atoms that act as a single ion.

What is a dative bond?

A covalent bond where both shared electrons come from the same atom.

What is the general rule for naming ionic compounds?

[Name of cation] + [name of anion].

What is a covalent bond?

A bond formed by the sharing of a pair of valence electrons between two atoms.

Between what types of elements are covalent bonds usually formed?

Between non-metal atoms.

What is a single covalent bond?

A bond formed by one shared pair of electrons.

What is a double covalent bond?

A bond formed by two shared pairs of electrons.

What is a triple covalent bond?

A bond formed by three shared pairs of electrons.

What is valency?

The number of electrons an atom uses to form bonds.

What is a structural formula?

A representation showing how atoms in a molecule are arranged and bonded, with lines representing shared electron pairs.

What is metallic bonding?

The electrostatic attraction between positive metal ions and a sea of delocalised electrons.

What is a giant metallic lattice?

A structure where positive metal ions are arranged in layers and surrounded by delocalised electrons.

What does it mean when electrons are delocalised?

They are not bound to any particular atom and can move freely throughout the structure.

What is an atom?

A neutral particle made of protons, neutrons, and electrons, with equal numbers of protons and electrons.

What is an ion?

A charged particle formed when an atom or group of atoms loses or gains electrons.

What is a molecule?

A neutral particle made of atoms joined by covalent bonds.

What is a compound?

A pure substance made of molecules or formula units containing more than one type of element chemically bonded.

What is a mixture?

An impure substance containing two or more elements or compounds not chemically bonded together.

What is an element?

A pure substance consisting only of one type of atom or molecule.