Chemical bonding

A chemical bond is an attraction between atoms that allows the formation of chemical
substances that contain two or more atoms. The bond is caused by the electrostatic forceof
attraction between opposite charges, either between electrons and nuclei, or as the result of
a dipole attraction. The strength of chemical bonds varies considerably; there are "strong bonds"
such as covalent or ionic bonds and "weak bonds" such as Dipole-dipole interaction, the London
dispersion force and hydrogen bonding.
Since opposite charges attract via a simple electromagnetic force, the negatively
charged electrons that are orbiting the nucleus and the positively charged protons in the nucleus
attract each other. An electron positioned between two nuclei will be attracted to both of them, and
the nuclei will be attracted toward electrons in this position. This attraction constitutes the chemical
bond. Due to the matter wave nature of electrons and their smaller mass, they must occupy a much
larger amount of volume compared with the nuclei, and this volume occupied by the electrons keeps
the atomic nuclei relatively far apart, as compared with the size of the nuclei themselves. This
phenomenon limits the distance between nuclei and atoms in a bond.
In general, strong chemical bonding is associated with the sharing or transfer of electrons between
the participating atoms. The atoms in molecules, crystals, metals and diatomic gasesindeed most
of the physical environment around usare held together by chemical bonds, which dictate the
structure and the bulk properties of matter.

Examples of Lewis dot-style representations of chemical bonds between carbon (C), hydrogen (H),
and oxygen (O). Lewis dot diagrams were an early attempt to describe chemical bonding and are still widely
used today.

All bonds can be explained by quantum theory, but, in practice, simplification rules allow chemists to
predict the strength, directionality, and polarity of bonds. The octet rule and VSEPR theory are two
examples. More sophisticated theories arevalence bond theory which includes which

includes ligand field theory. Electrostatics are used to describe bond polarities and the effects they
have on chemical substances.

Chemical Bonding
Chemical compounds are formed by the joining of two or more atoms. A
stable compound occurs when the total energy of the combination has lower
energy than the separated atoms. The bound state implies a net attractive force
between the atoms ... a chemical bond. The two extreme cases of chemical
bonds are:
Covalent bond: bond in which one or more pairs of electrons are shared by
two atoms.
Ionic bond: bond in which one or more electrons from one atom are removed
and attached to another atom, resulting in positive and negative ions which
attract each other.

Index
Bond
concepts

Bond
Other types of bonds include metallic bonds and hydrogen bonding. The
data
attractive forces between molecules in a liquid can be characterized as van der
Waals bonds.
Chemical
concepts

Sodium chloride
Ionic

Hydrogen molecule
Covalent

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Covalent Bonds
Covalent chemical bonds involve the sharing of a pair of valence electrons by
two atoms, in contrast to the transfer of electrons in ionic bonds. Such bonds
lead to stable molecules if they share electrons in such a way as to create a
noble gas configuration for each atom.
Hydrogen gas forms the simplest covalent bond in the diatomic hydrogen
molecule. The halogens such as chlorine also exist as diatomic gases by
forming covalent bonds. The nitrogen and oxygen which makes up the bulk of
the atmosphere also exhibits covalent bonding in forming diatomic molecules.

Index
Bond
concepts
Chemical
concepts

Covalent bonding can be

visualized with the aid
ofLewis diagrams.

Comparison of ionic and covalent materials.

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Polar Covalent Bonds

Index
Covalent bonds in which the sharing of the electron pair is unequal, with the
electrons spending more time around the more nonmetallic atom, are called
Bond
polar covalent bonds. In such a bond there is a charge separation with one
concepts
atom being slightly more positive and the other more negative, i.e., the bond
will produce a dipole moment. The ability of an atom to attract electrons in the
presense of another atom is a measurable property calledelectronegativity.

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Index

Ionic Bonds
In chemical bonds, atoms can either transfer or share their valence electrons.
In the extreme case where one or more atoms lose electrons and other atoms
gain them in order to produce a noble gas electron configuration, the bond is
called an ionic bond.
Typical of ionic bonds are those in the alkali halides such as sodium chloride,
NaCl.

Bond
concepts

Ionic bonding can

be visualized with
the aid of Lewis
diagrams.

Comparison of ionic and covalent materials.

Energy contributions to ionic bonds
Table of ionic diatomic bonds
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Metallic Bonds

Index

The properties of metals suggest that their atoms possess strong bonds, yet the
Bond
ease of conduction of heat and electricity suggest that electrons can move
concepts
freely in all directions in a metal. The general observations give rise to a
picture of "positive ions in a sea of electrons" to describe metallic bonding.

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Metal Properties
The general properties of metals include malleability and ductility and most
Index
are strong and durable. They are good conductors of heat and electricity. Their
strength indicates that the atoms are difficult to separate, but malleability and
Bond
ductility suggest that the atoms are relatively easy to move in various
concepts
directions. The electrical conductivity suggests that it is easy to move
electrons in any direction in these materials. The thermal conductivity also
involves the motion of electrons. All of these properties suggest the nature of
the metallic bonds between atoms.

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Hydrogen Bonding
Hydrogen bonding differs from other uses of the word "bond" since it is a
force of attraction between a hydrogen atom in one molecule and a small atom
of high electronegativity in another molecule. That is, it is an intermolecular
force, not an intramolecular force as in the common use of the word bond.
When hydrogen atoms are joined in a polar covalent bondwith a small atom of Index
high electronegativity such as O, F or N, the partial positive charge on the
Bond
hydrogen is highly concentrated because of its small size. If the hydrogen is
close to another oxygen, fluorine or nitrogen in another molecule, then there is concepts
a force of attraction termed a dipole-dipole interaction. This attraction or
"hydrogen bond" can have about 5% to 10% of the strength of a covalent
bond.
Hydrogen bonding has a very important effect on the properties of water and
ice. Hydrogen bonding is also very important in proteins and nucleic acids and
therefore in life processes. The "unzipping" of DNA is a breaking of hydrogen
bonds which help hold the two strands of the double helix together.

Ionic Bonds: One big greedy thief dog!

Ionic bonding can be best imagined as one big greedy dog steeling the other dog's
bone. If the bone represents the electron that is up for grabs, then when the big dog
gains an electron he becomes negatively charged and the little dog who lost the
electron becomes positively charged. The two ions (that's where the name ionic
comes from) are attracted very strongly to each other as a result of the opposite
charges.

Covalent Bonds: Dogs of equal strength.

Covalent bonds can be thought of as two or more dogs with equal attraction to the
bones. Since the dogs (atoms) are identical, then the dogs share the pairs of available
bones evenly. Since one dog does not have more of the bone than the other dog, the
charge is evenly distributed among both dogs. The molecule is not "polar" meaning
one side does not have more charge than the other.

Polar Covalent Bonds: Unevenly matched but willing to share.

These bonds can be thought of as two or more dogs that have different desire for
bones. The bigger dog has more strength to possess a larger portion of the bones.
Sharing still takes place but is an uneven sharing. In the case of the atoms, the
electrons spend more time on the end of the molecule near the atom with the greater
electronegativity (desire for the electron) making it seem more negative and the other
end of the molecule seem more positive.
Metallic Bonds: Mellow dogs with plenty of bones to go around
These bonds are best imagined as a room full of puppies who have plenty of bones to
go around and are not possessive of any one particular bone. This allows the electrons
to move through the substance with little restriction. The model is often described as
the "kernels of atoms in a sea of electrons."

Chemical compound

(Chemistry) a substance formed by chemical union of two or more elements or ingredients in definite
proportion by weight.
Examples: