Some elements react with certain elements better than others ?

[LogicalAcid]

Because let's say we have Hydrogen and Chlorine, they with both react very well with each other due to the reason that Hydrogen wants to get rid of its only Valence electron, to have an empty shell, and Cl needs only one more to have a full shell. Right?

 

[Borek]

No.

HCl molecule is mostly covalent, and in HCl molecule they have both full valence shells. So in this case these full valance shells are the force behind.

Your explanation would work for ionic NaCl.

 

[espen180]

It's more like the amount of energy released from having chlorine take the electron is greater that the amount of energy lost by having hydrogen lose it. If you use a table of standard reduction potentials, you'll find that the reaction
Cl₂ + H₂ --> 2H⁺ + 2Cl^-
has a Delta G value of -262 kJ, which means 262 kJ of energy is released for each mole of Cl₂ which reacts.

Of course H⁺-cations are not stable in solution and would bind, for example to a water molecule, to form H₃O⁺.

 

[LogicalAcid]

No.

HCl molecule is mostly covalent, and in HCl molecule they have both full valence shells. So in this case these full valance shells are the force behind.

Your explanation would work for ionic NaCl.

H gave its one electron to Cl which only needed one, now they are both ions, how is this not an ionic bond?

 

[LogicalAcid]

It's more like the amount of energy released from having chlorine take the electron is greater that the amount of energy lost by having hydrogen lose it. If you use a table of standard reduction potentials, you'll find that the reaction
Cl₂ + H₂ --> 2H⁺ + 2Cl^-
has a Delta G value of -262 kJ, which means 262 kJ of energy is released for each mole of Cl₂ which reacts.

Of course H⁺-cations are not stable in solution and would bind, for example to a water molecule, to form H₃O⁺.

A single H+ proton is considered an atom of H?

 

[Borek]

H gave its one electron to Cl which only needed one, now they are both ions, how is this not an ionic bond?

No, as long as HCl is not dissociated in water they share two electrons. HCl is not a good example here, as it doesn't follow the obvious trends.

 

[Borek]

A single H+ proton is considered an atom of H?

No, it is not an ATOM, it is an ion (cation to be precise). But yes, single proton is considered to be a hydrogen cation.

 

[LogicalAcid]

No, it is not an ATOM, it is an ion (cation to be precise). But yes, single proton is considered to be a hydrogen cation.

OK I understand, HCl is covalently bonded when not disassociated in water, but back to the question. If two elements have the exact amount of electrons one needs to lose or gain to have a full shell, they react better than ones that don't have the exact amount of electrons for both of them to have a full shell?

 

[DrDu]

OK I understand, HCl is covalently bonded when not disassociated in water, but back to the question. If two elements have the exact amount of electrons one needs to lose or gain to have a full shell, they react better than ones that don't have the exact amount of electrons for both of them to have a full shell?

No, the fact that you seldomly observe a system with open shells is not that the bonds in it are less stable (or "do not form so well in a reaction" to use your diction) but that it usually will react to form even more complex compounds.