CHEMISTRY Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Lewis Structure, Lone Pair, Chloromethane
Document Summary
A covalent link is formed when two atoms exchange one or more pairs of electrons. The two atomic nuclei are concurrently drawing these electrons to them. When the difference between the electro-negativities of two atoms is too tiny for an electron transfer to take place to form ions, a covalent bond is formed. Bonding electrons are collectively referred to as the electrons that are present between the two atoms. The "glue" that binds the atoms in molecular units together is the bonded pair. The simplest substance with a covalent link is the hydrogen molecule. Two hydrogen atoms, each with one electron in a 1s orbital, combine to create it. The two electrons in the covalent link are shared by both hydrogen atoms, and each one takes on an electron configuration resembling that of helium. A common pair of electrons holds the two chlorine atoms in the chlorine molecule together.
