Covalent Bonds

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Covalent Bonds

Covalent bonds are formed when atoms share electrons, one from each atom in a single bond, to form electron pairs, usually making their outermost shells up to eight electrons by this means. This would make them more stable, less reactive and an electronic structure like a noble gas.  

They are most frequently formed between pairs of non-metallic elements. Non-metallic elements usually have from four to eight electrons in their outermost shells, the so-called valency electrons, which are used for chemical bonding. In any given “full” shell of eight electrons, the electrons occur in four pairs, but in incomplete shells, the electrons exist singly where possible.

 Sometimes, atoms of elements form covalent bonds with other atoms of the same element. Thus two chlorine atoms form the chlorine molecule, Cl2, by sharing their unpaired electrons. In the case of oxygen (O2), there are two unpaired valency electrons in each atom, so that two electron-pair bonds are formed between the two atoms to complete their octet of electrons, a double bond.

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Covalent bonds can also be formed in such a way as to form a giant molecule, such as happens in diamond. Here, each of the four valency electrons of a carbon atom is shared with one of the valency electrons of another carbon atom, so that every carbon atom in the structure has four different carbon atoms bonded to it.

In simple molecules, the molecules are held together by strong covalent bonds, but the bonds between different molecules are relatively weak, and therefore easily broken. Many compounds containing covalent bonds, therefore, are liquids or gases at room temperature, although at ...

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