The Covalent Bond
Standards
HS-PS2-4. Use mathematical
representations of Newton’s Law of
Gravitation and Coulomb’s Law to
describe and predict the gravitational and
electrostatic forces between objects.
HS-PS3-5. Develop and use a model of
two objects interacting through electric or
magnetic fields to illustrate the forces
between objects and the changes in
energy of the objects due to the
interaction.
Essential Question
How do atoms bond in covalent
molecules?
New Vocabulary
covalent bond
molecule
Lewis structure
sigma bond
pi bond
endothermic
exothermic
Review Vocabulary
chemical bond: the force that holds two atoms
together
Why do atoms bond?
Gaining Stability
• The stability of an atom, ion, or compound is
related to its energy: lower energy states are
more stable.
• Ionic bonds, metals, and nonmetals gain stability
by transferring (gaining or losing) electrons to
form ions with stable noble-gas electron
configurations.
• Valence electron sharing allows atoms to acquire
the stable electron configuration of noble gases.
What is a covalent bond?
Shared Electrons
• Atoms in non-ionic compounds share
electrons.
• A covalent bond is a chemical bond that
results from electron sharing.
• A molecule is formed when two or more
atoms bond covalently.
• The majority of covalent bonds form between
atoms of nonmetallic elements.
What is a covalent bond?
Covalent Bond Formation
• Diatomic molecules (H2, N2, F2, O2, I2, Cl2, Br2)
exist because the two-atom molecules are
more stable than the individual atoms.
What is a covalent bond?
• The most stable arrangement of atoms exists
at the point of maximum net attraction,
where the atoms bond covalently and form a
molecule.
Single Covalent Bonds
• When only one pair of electrons is shared, the
result is a single covalent bond.
• The figure shows two hydrogen atoms forming a
hydrogen molecule with a single covalent bond,
resulting in an electron configuration like helium.
• In a Lewis structure, dots or a line are used to
symbolize a single covalent bond.
Single Covalent Bonds
Group 17 and Single Bonds
• The halogens—the group 17 elements—have 7
valence electrons and form single covalent bonds
with atoms of other non-metals.
Group 16 and Single Bonds
• Atoms in group 16 can share two electrons and
form two covalent bonds.
• Water is formed from one oxygen with two
hydrogen atoms covalently bonded to it.
Single Covalent Bonds
Group 15 and Single Bonds
• Atoms in group 15 form three single covalent
bonds, such as in ammonia.
Group 14 and Single Bonds
• Atoms of group 14 elements form four single
covalent bonds, such as in methane.
Lewis Structure of a Molecule
Use with Example Problem 1.
SOLVE FOR THE UNKNOWN
Problem
To draw a Lewis structure, first draw the
Patterns on glass can be made by chemically
electron-dot diagram for each of the atoms.
etching its surface with hydrogen fluoride
Then, rewrite the chemical symbols and draw
(HF). Draw the Lewis structure for a
a line between them to show the shared pair
molecule of hydrogen fluoride.
of electrons. Finally, add dots to show the
unshared electron pairs.
Response
ANALYZE THE PROBLEM
You are given the information that hydrogen and
fluorine form the molecule hydrogen fluoride. An
atom of hydrogen, a group 1 element, has only
one valence electron. It can bond with any EVALUATE THE ANSWER
nonmetal atom when they share one pair of Each atom in the new molecule now has a
electrons. An atom of fluorine, a group 17 noble-gas configuration and is stable.
element, needs one electron to complete its
octet. Therefore, a single covalent bond forms
when atoms of hydrogen and fluorine bond.
Single Covalent Bonds
The Sigma Bond
• Single covalent bonds are called sigma bonds.
• They occur when the pair of shared electrons is in
an area centered between the two atoms.
Multiple Covalent Bonds
Double Bonds
• A double bond forms when two pairs of
electrons are shared between two atoms.
• In a. of the figure on the next slide, two
oxygen molecules form a double bond.
Triple Bonds
• A triple bond forms when three pairs of
electrons are shared between two atoms.
• In b. of the figure on the next slide, a triple
bond forms between two nitrogen atoms.
Multiple Covalent Bonds
Multiple Covalent Bonds
The pi Bond
• A multiple covalent
bond consists of one
sigma bond and at
least one pi bond. The
figure shows the
multiple bond between
carbon atoms in C2H4.
• A pi bond forms when
parallel orbitals overlap
and share electrons.
The Strength of Covalent Bonds
Bond Length
• The strength depends on the distance
between the two nuclei, or bond length.
• As length increases, strength decreases.
Bonds and Energy
• The amount of energy required to break a
bond is called the bond dissociation energy.
• The shorter the bond length, the greater the
energy required to break it.
The Strength of Covalent Bonds
• An endothermic reaction occurs when a
greater amount of energy is required to break
the existing bonds in the reactants than is
released when the new bonds form in the
products.
• An exothermic reaction occurs when more
energy is released during product bond
formation than is required to break bonds in
the reactants.
Video
[Link]
Quiz
1. Which of the following is true?
A Metals gain stability by sharing electrons to form ions.
B Atoms with higher energy states are more stable.
C Atoms with lower energy states are more stable.
D Atoms in nonionic pairs gain or lose electrons.
Quiz
2. Which term refers to a chemical bond that
results from sharing valence electrons?
A ionic bond C covalent bond
B metallic bond D molecule
Quiz
3. How many electrons do group 17 elements need to form
an octet?
A 1
B 2
C 3
D 8
Quiz
4. Which term refers to single covalent bonds?
A pi C Lewis
B ionic D sigma
Quiz
5. Which of the following is true of a multiple covalent
bond?
A It consists of one sigma bond and at least one
pi bond.
B It consists of more than one sigma bond.
C It consists of two sigma bonds and more than two pi
bonds.
D None of the above is true.
