Question

What is a chemical bond?

Short answer

A chemical bond is a lasting attraction between atoms that enables the formation of chemical compounds.

Step-by-step solution

Definition

A chemical bond is a lasting attraction between atoms that enables the formation of chemical compounds.

Types of Chemical Bonds

There are several types of chemical bonds. The main types include ionic bonds, covalent bonds, and metallic bonds.

Ionic Bonds

Ionic bonds form when one atom donates one or more of its electrons to another atom. This usually occurs between metals and non-metals.

Covalent Bonds

Covalent bonds form when atoms share one or more pairs of electrons. This type of bond usually occurs between non-metals.

Metallic Bonds

Metallic bonds are a type of chemical bond found in metals. Here, electrons flow freely among a lattice of metal ions, creating a 'sea of electrons.'

Key concepts

ionic bonds

Ionic bonds are a type of chemical bond that occurs when an atom donates one or more of its electrons to another atom. This kind of bond typically happens between metals and non-metals. When an atom loses electrons, it becomes positively charged, forming a cation. On the other hand, an atom that gains electrons becomes negatively charged, forming an anion.

The attraction between the positively charged cation and the negatively charged anion creates a strong bond. This bond is called an ionic bond. Some characteristics of ionic compounds include:

• High melting and boiling points
• Solid at room temperature
• They often dissolve well in water
• They conduct electricity when dissolved in water or melted

An example is table salt (NaCl), which is formed from sodium (Na) donating an electron to chlorine (Cl).

covalent bonds

Covalent bonds form when two atoms share one or more pairs of electrons. This bond usually occurs between non-metal atoms. Unlike ionic bonds, where electrons are transferred, covalent bonds involve the sharing of electrons. This sharing allows each atom to achieve a more stable electron configuration.

The shared electrons move in orbits between the bonded atoms, effectively holding the atoms together. Some key features of covalent compounds include:

• They can be gases, liquids, or solids at room temperature
• Lower melting and boiling points compared to ionic compounds
• Poor electrical conductors in any state
• Often not as soluble in water compared to ionic compounds

Water (H\(_2\)O) is a classic example of a molecule with covalent bonds where oxygen shares electrons with hydrogen.

metallic bonds

Metallic bonds are a type of chemical bond found in metals, where electrons flow freely among a lattice of metal ions. This collective sharing of electrons creates a 'sea of electrons' that binds the metal atoms together.

Metallic bonds give rise to several distinctive properties of metals, including:

• High electrical and thermal conductivity
• Shininess and luster
• Malleability (can be hammered into thin sheets)
• Ductility (can be stretched into thin wires)

This 'sea of electrons' allows metals to conduct electricity and heat efficiently and also provides metals with their malleability and ductility. Copper is an example of a metal that shows these properties due to metallic bonding.