Covalent Bonds

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Covalent Bond Noun

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[koh-vey-luhnt bond]

Back

Covalent Bond

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A chemical bond formed when nonmetal atoms share one or more pairs of valence electrons to hold the atoms together.

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Example: This image shows a water molecule (H2O), where one oxygen atom shares electrons with two hydrogen atoms, forming strong covalent bonds.

Front

Molecule Noun

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[mol-i-kyool]

Back

Molecule

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A neutral group of atoms held together by one or more covalent bonds, forming the smallest unit of a substance.

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Example: This diagram shows a single water molecule (H₂O), where one oxygen atom is joined to two hydrogen atoms by covalent bonds.

Front

Octet Rule Noun

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[ok-tet rool]

Back

Octet Rule

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A chemical guideline stating atoms tend to bond to achieve eight electrons in their outermost energy level for stability.

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Example: Two oxygen atoms share electrons in a covalent bond, allowing each atom to have a full outer shell of eight electrons, satisfying the octet rule.

Front

Bonding Pair Noun

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[bon-ding pair]

Back

Bonding Pair

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A pair of electrons that is shared between two atoms, forming a covalent bond that holds the atoms together.

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Example: This diagram shows two atoms sharing a pair of electrons to form a covalent bond; this shared pair of electrons is the bonding pair.

Front

Lone Pair Noun

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[lohn pair]

Back

Lone Pair

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A pair of valence electrons that is not shared or involved in bonding with another atom in a molecule.

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Example: This diagram shows a water molecule, where the two yellow lobes on the oxygen atom represent lone pairs of electrons not involved in bonding.

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Electron Dot Structure Noun

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[i-lek-tron dot struk-cher]

Back

Electron Dot Structure

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A diagram showing the valence electrons of atoms in a molecule, representing both bonding pairs and lone pairs of electrons.

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Example: This diagram shows an oxygen atom sharing its outer electrons with two hydrogen atoms, forming covalent bonds. This electron dot structure helps visualize how a water molecule is formed.

Front

Central Atom Noun

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[sen-truhl at-uhm]

Back

Central Atom

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The atom in a molecule with more than two atoms that is bonded to at least two other atoms.

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Example: In a water molecule, the single oxygen atom is the central atom because the two hydrogen atoms are both bonded to it.

Front

Single Covalent Bond Noun

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[sing-guhl koh-vey-luhnt bond]

Back

Single Covalent Bond

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A covalent bond formed by the sharing of one pair of electrons between two atoms in a molecule.

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Example: This diagram shows two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom sharing electrons to form two single covalent bonds, creating a stable water molecule.

Front

Double Covalent Bond Noun

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[duhb-uhl koh-vey-luhnt bond]

Back

Double Covalent Bond

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A covalent bond formed by the sharing of two pairs of electrons between two atoms, stronger than a single bond.

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Example: Two oxygen atoms each share two of their outer electrons with the other, forming a strong double covalent bond to create an oxygen molecule (O₂).

Front

Triple Covalent Bond Noun

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[trip-uhl koh-vey-luhnt bond]

Back

Triple Covalent Bond

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A covalent bond formed by the sharing of three pairs of electrons between two atoms, the strongest covalent bond type.

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Example: This diagram shows two nitrogen atoms sharing three pairs of electrons to form a strong triple covalent bond, creating a stable nitrogen molecule (N₂).