The covalent bond
When non-metal atoms react together, they need to gain electrons to fill
their outer shell and become stable.
incomplete
outer shells
They can only do this if they share electrons with each other.
both atoms have a full
outer shell
The atoms share electrons so there is a strong force that joins the
atoms together. This is called a covalent bond.
Covalent bonding and elements
Many elements exist as molecules two or more atoms joined by a
covalent bond. Each atom has a full outer electron shell and is
therefore stable.
H H
O O
Cl Cl
Only the outer shell of electrons is involved in covalent bonding. This
means that the inner shells do not always have to be included in
diagrams.
Two common ways to indicate a covalent bond are:
solid line
H H
H
dot and cross
diagram
Covalent bonding in hydrogen
Hydrogen (electron configuration: 1) needs 1 more electron to have a
completely full outer shell.
To achieve this, it can share an electron with another hydrogen atom.
This creates a single bond and the two hydrogen atoms form a hydrogen
molecule.
H2 or HH
There are two atoms in the molecule so it is called diatomic.
Covalent bonding in chlorine
Chlorine (2.8.7) needs 1 more electron to have a completely full outer
shell.
To achieve this, it can share an electron with another chlorine atom. This
creates a single bond.
Cl
Cl
Cl
Cl2 or ClCl
Covalent bonding in oxygen
Oxygen (2.8.6) needs 2 more electrons to have a completely full outer
shell.
To achieve this, it can share two electrons with another oxygen atom.
This creates a double bond.
O2 or O=O
Covalent bonding in nitrogen
Nitrogen (2.8.5) needs 3 more electrons to have a completely full outer
shell.
It can share three electrons with another nitrogen atom to do this. This
creates a triple bond.
NN
N2 or NN
Covalent bonding in compounds
Covalent bonding can take place between atoms of different elements to
create molecules of covalent compounds. These covalent bonds can be
single, double or triple.
Both hydrogen (1) and chlorine (2.8.7) need 1 more electron to fill their
outer shell. By sharing one electron each, they can fill their outer shells
and become stable.
Cl
HCl or H Cl
Covalent bonding in
water
Oxygen (2.6) needs 2 more electrons, but hydrogen (1) only needs 1
more. How can these two elements be covalently bonded?
The oxygen atom shares 1 electron with 1 hydrogen atom, and a second
electron with another hydrogen atom.
O
H
H
H2O or H O H
Covalent bonding in ammonia
How are nitrogen and hydrogen bonded in ammonia?
2.5
Electrons
needed
Ratio of
atoms
Electron
configuration
H
NH3 or H N H
H
Covalent bonding in methane
How are carbon and hydrogen
bonded in methane?
2.4
Electrons
needed
Ratio of
atoms
Electron
configuration
CH4
H
or H C H
H
More covalent bonding diagrams
Draw a line diagram to show the bonding in:
1. hydrogen sulfide
SS
2. carbon dioxide
3. ethane (C2H6)
True or false? - Whiteboards
Worksheet task 10 mins
Use the templates to draw the dots and
crosses to show the shared electrons.
Extension Use more difficult task sheet.
Hint Look at your periodic tables in your
planners!
Simple covalent
structures
Atoms that join together by covalent bonding can form different types of
covalent structure.
Oxygen, water and carbon dioxide are molecules. They have a simple
structure because they only contain a few atoms.
O
H
Most molecular substances are gas or liquid at room temperature. A
few are solid and these are called molecular solids.
Molecular solids
iodine
Iodine is a molecular solid at room temperature.
Two iodine atoms form a single covalent bond
to become an iodine molecule.
Millions of iodine molecules are
held together by weak forces of
attraction to create a 3D
molecular lattice.
weak forces
of attraction
I
I
Properties of molecular solids
The weak forces of attraction between molecules in molecular solids
only require a small amount of energy to be broken. This means that
molecular solids:
have low melting and boiling points;
are usually soft and brittle they shatter when hit.
In addition, molecular solids:
are usually insoluble in water but soluble in other solvents such as
petrol;
cannot conduct electricity there are no free electrons to carry an
electrical charge.
Giant covalent
structures
In some substances, millions of atoms join together by covalent
bonding. This produces giant covalent structures, not molecules.
All the bonds are covalent, which
means that giant covalent structures
have a very high melting and boiling
point.
This also means that almost
all giant covalent structure
are hard but brittle.
Allotropes of carbon
In the element carbon, atoms bond in different ways, creating
different kinds of giant structures.
Two of these structures are diamond and graphite. They are
called allotropes of carbon.
Allotropes have the same chemical properties because they have
the same number of electrons.
However, they have different physical properties because the
electrons are shared in different ways with other atoms.
The structure of
diamond
Diamond is a rare form of carbon
This pattern arrangement is
in which each atom is covalently
bonded to four others.
C
C
C
repeated millions of times to create
a giant lattice.
The properties of
diamond
All the electrons in the outer shell of the carbon atom (2.4) are used in
covalent bonds. This affects diamonds properties.
Diamond is very hard the hardest
natural substance on Earth.
Diamond has a very high melting and
boiling point a lot of energy is needed to
break the covalent bonds.
Diamond cannot conduct electricity
there are no free electrons or ions to
carry a charge
The structure of
graphite
Graphite is a much more
This forms rings of six atoms, creating
common form of carbon. in
which each atom is covalently
bonded to three others.
a giant structure containing many
layers. These layers are held together
by weak forces of attraction.
C
C
C
weak forces of attraction
The properties of
graphite
Only three of the four electrons in the outer shell of the carbon atom
(2.4) are used in covalent bonds. This affects graphites properties.
Graphite is soft and slippery layers can
easily slide over each other because the
weak forces of attraction are easily
broken. This is why graphite is used as a
lubricant.
Graphite can conduct electricity
the only
non-metal to do. There is a free
electron from each atom to carry a
charge.
Allotropes and their properties
How do the different properties of diamond and graphite depend on
their structures?
Other allotropes of
carbon
Other allotropes of carbon have been discovered in the last 30 years.
They are large but not really giant structures.
One allotrope is buckminsterfullerene. It contains 60 carbon atoms, each
of which bonds with three others by forming two single bonds and one
double bond.
These atoms are arranged in 12 pentagons and 20 hexagons to form
spheres, which are sometimes called bucky balls.
C
C
C
Sand
Sand is an impure form of silicon dioxide (quartz). It has a giant
covalent structure with certain similarities to diamond.
Each silicon atom (2.8.4) is bonded to four oxygen
atoms, and each oxygen atom (2.6) is bonded to
two silicon atoms.
Si
O
O
