After this lesson, you should be able to...
- Recognize and describe the types of bonding.
- Identify whether a compound is ionic or molecular.
- Describe the octet rule and draw Lewis dot symbols for elements/ions.
It's important to note that bonding does not simply occur to satisfy some
empirical rules.
Atoms form bonds to reach a lower energy. When a bond forms, energy will be
released (
\Delta
E < 0).
Filled-shell noble gas configurations are especially stable due to their
perfectly spherical distribution of electron density. In order to achieve a
noble gas configuration, atoms must gain, lose, or share electrons. Most atoms
want to achieve an "octet" where there are eight electrons in its valence
shell. As we will see in the following sections, there are two types of bonds:
ionic and covalent. In ionic bonds, ions with noble gas configurations and
opposite charges are attracted to one another and come together to form ionic
solids. In covalent bonds, electrons are shared between atoms. These electrons
are attracted to both nuclei simultaneously.
For a recap of identifying valence electrons in an atom and an overview of
drawing Lewis structures of main group elements, check out the video below!
(Note: You do not need to be able to draw Lewis dot structures for transition
metals.)