What is Covalent bonding: Definition and 26 Discussions

A covalent bond is a chemical bond that involves the sharing of electron pairs between atoms. These electron pairs are known as shared pairs or bonding pairs, and the stable balance of attractive and repulsive forces between atoms, when they share electrons, is known as covalent bonding. For many molecules, the sharing of electrons allows each atom to attain the equivalent of a full valence shell, corresponding to a stable electronic configuration. In organic chemistry, covalent bonds are much more common than ionic bonds.
Covalent bonding also includes many kinds of interactions, including σ-bonding, π-bonding, metal-to-metal bonding, agostic interactions, bent bonds, three-center two-electron bonds and three-center four-electron bonds. The term covalent bond dates from 1939. The prefix co- means jointly, associated in action, partnered to a lesser degree, etc.; thus a "co-valent bond", in essence, means that the atoms share "valence", such as is discussed in valence bond theory.
In the molecule H2, the hydrogen atoms share the two electrons via covalent bonding. Covalency is greatest between atoms of similar electronegativities. Thus, covalent bonding does not necessarily require that the two atoms be of the same elements, only that they be of comparable electronegativity. Covalent bonding that entails the sharing of electrons over more than two atoms is said to be delocalized.

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  1. ruivocanadense

    I Covalent Bonds -- Which type of force?

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  2. nomadreid

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  3. Mayhem

    [Quantum Chemistry] Generalized wave function in covalent bonding

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  4. Dario56

    Why Do Atoms Need to Have Free Electrons to Create Covalent Bonds?

    Atoms bond because compounds are more stable or have less energy than individual atoms. Interatomic potential energy depends with distance of atoms and there is a distance at which potential energy has minimum. This distance is a length of the bond. When forming covalent bonds, why is it...
  5. C

    Can Covalent Bonds form between atoms with no electrons?

    Homework Statement I learned that Covalent Bonds form between different specific atoms ( with similar electro-negativity ) with electrons. However, I wondered what type of bond would form between the different atoms if they had no electrons? Also , if I have 2 atoms with similar...
  6. Navin

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  7. V

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  9. I

    Which elements form covalent bonds?

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  10. T

    What does covalent bonding in salts actually look like?

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  11. RicardoMP

    Covalent bonding - Energy gain

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  12. D

    Why does the potential energy get lower as atoms get closer?

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  13. pinochet

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  14. amjad-sh

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  15. Priyadarshini

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  16. H

    Pure Covalent Bonding: Understanding its Role in Atomic Bonds

    Hi, If two atoms of the same element form a bond together, would the bond be purely covalent or would it have a small ionic character as well ? If it does have an ionic character please explain why. Thanks
  17. C

    Covalent bonding in transition metals. Can someone help?

    According to my book, for 1st row Transition Metals, the acidity of a aquo-complex is greater for those elements at the right of the periodic table. They justify this by saying that to the RHS, the cation is more polarizing and weakens the O-H bond to a greater extent. I do get this, but...
  18. S

    Is covalent bonding only between non metals?

    So far we've learned that ionic bonding is between metals and non metals, now we are learning about covalent bonding, so far it seems that covalent bonding is only between non metals. Is this true?
  19. K

    Covalent Bonding: H2 Homework Problem 10-7

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  20. L

    Are atoms lazy particles when it comes to ionic and covalent bonding?

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  21. D

    Covalent Bonding: O2 vs S8 - Understand the Logic

    Ok I understand that O2 wants to have a stable number of electrons for its period which is 8 and so it shares two pairs of electrons. But what about S8. I thought it would form S2. Why is it forming S8, what is the logic. Cheers Damian
  22. K

    Covalent Bonding and Bonding Order

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  23. K

    Covalent Bonding: Boron's 5 Valence Electrons

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  24. J

    Covalent Bonding: Combining C & C

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  25. M

    Covalent bonding has limited range?

    Hello. Covalent bonding molicules, right, are usually in lower quantum energy states. e.g. for a typical dihydrogen mol at air temp, the 2 electrons are often in the first or second lowest quantum state. But, natch, the molicule can still exist with the electron at higher quantum states. In...
  26. C

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    Why the energy of 3s electron of Na is much higher than that of the 3p electrons of Cl?
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