Covalent Bonding Flashcards
Bonding, Structure, and Properties of Matter (15 cards)
What is a covalent bond?
A covalent bond is formed when non-metal atoms share pairs of electrons.
What attracts the positively charged nuclei of bonded atoms in a covalent bond?
Electrostatic forces attract the positively charged nuclei to the shared pair of electrons.
In which energy levels do atoms share electrons?
Atoms share electrons in their outer shells (highest energy levels).
How many extra shared electrons does each single covalent bond provide for each atom?
Each single covalent bond provides one extra shared electron for each atom.
What is the goal of atoms when forming covalent bonds?
Atoms generally make enough covalent bonds to fill up their outer shell.
What electron structure do atoms achieve by filling their outer shell?
Having a full outer shell gives them the electronic structure of a noble gas, which is very stable.
In what types of compounds does covalent bonding occur?
Covalent bonding occurs in compounds of non-metals (e.g., H₂O) and in non-metal elements (e.g., Cl₂).
What is one method to illustrate covalent bonds in compounds?
Dot and cross diagrams can be used to show the bonding in covalent compounds.
What do dot and cross diagrams represent in covalent bonds?
They show which atoms the electrons in a covalent bond come from.
What limitation do dot and cross diagrams have?
They do not show the relative sizes of the atoms or how the atoms are arranged in space.
What does the displayed formula of ammonia (NH₃) show?
The displayed formula shows the covalent bonds as single lines between atoms.
What is a disadvantage of using displayed formulas for large molecules?
They do not show the 3D structure of the molecule.
What is a 3D model used for in covalent bonding?
A 3D model shows the atoms, covalent bonds, and their arrangement in space.
What can be confusing about 3D models for large molecules?
They can quickly get confusing for large molecules where there are many atoms to include.
How can you find the molecular formula of a simple molecular compound?
By counting how many atoms of each element there are in the diagram.
