Lecture Note Four

CHM 101 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I (2 Units)
Lecture 4 Lecturer: Mr. Ogundele, O.D.

Dr. Ore, O.T.
CHEMICAL BONDING
Few atoms exist as independent particles. Most exist as combinations held together by chemical
bonds. The way in which they bond affects the properties of the substance. Atoms form bonds
by obtaining stable electron configurations (i.e. a full valance shell of electrons), either by
sharing electrons or by transferring them.
A chemical bond is a force that holds two or more atoms together and makes them function as a
unit.
a) Some bonds are easily broken others are very hard to break.
b) Bond Energy – energy required to break a bond
Types of Bonds
1. Ionic Bonds
This result from the electrical attraction between a metal ion (cation) and a nonmetal ion
(anion). An ionic compound is formed when an atom that loses electrons easily (a metal)
reacts with an atom that has an affinity for electrons (a nonmetal). One or more electrons
are transferred from the metal to the nonmetal. There is generally a large electronegativity
difference between the atoms.
2. Covalent Bonds
This result from the sharing of electron pairs between two nonmetal atoms. One or both of
the atoms can contribute the electrons to be shared. Atoms share electrons because they
have similar electronegativities.
Shared electron pairs are considered to be localized between two atoms because this is
where they spend most of their time. There are two kinds of covalent bonds:
a) Nonpolar Covalent (usually simply called “covalent”)

Non-polar bonding results when two identical non-metals equally share electrons
between them. This type of bond is also formed between carbon and hydrogen.
The atoms have the same or almost identical electronegativities. Examples
include H2, Cl2, N2, etc.
b) Polar Covalent Bonds
Result from an unequal sharing of electrons. The atom with the higher
electronegativity attracts the electrons more strongly than the atom with less
electronegativity, resulting in an unequal sharing of electrons. Shared pairs of
electrons are shifted from the center between the two participating atoms, making
one end of the molecule slightly positive and the other end slightly negative. The
bond is polarized. Example is Hydrogen fluoride. Delta (δ) indicates a partial or
fractional charge. It is important to remember that polar molecules (unless ions) are
overall neutral. The partial charges caused by the unequal sharing of electrons are
not the same as ionic charges which are caused by the actual transfer of electrons
between atoms.
Electronegativity is the tendency of an atom to attract shared electrons to itself. Group 1
and 2 elements lose electrons easily. They have low electronegativities. Group 7 elements,
however, can attract electrons easily. They have high electronegativities. Electronegativity
generally increases going across the periodic table and decreases as you go down the
groups. Most bonds have some covalent and some ionic character. An ionic bond simply
has more ionic than covalent character, and a covalent bond has more covalent than ionic
character. There is no definite dividing line or cut-off between bond types. They exist
along a spectrum of ionic vs covalent character present in the bond. See the table below:
3. Hydrogen Bond
A weak attraction between molecules that occurs when a hydrogen atom is bonded to a
small, highly electronegative atom, such as N, O, or F. The shared electrons are pulled
closer to the more electronegative atom, producing a partial positive charge on the
hydrogen and a partial negative charge on the more electronegative atom. The hydrogen
end of one molecule has an attraction to the more electronegative side of an adjacent
molecule.
4. Metallic Bonds
This is bonding between metal atoms in pure metals or alloys (combinations of two or more
different metals). Metal atoms are difficult to separate but can slide past each other fairly
easily. Bonding in metals is strong but nondirectional, meaning the bonds occur in any
direction. Because metal atoms are relatively large they can lose their outer electrons easily.
Large numbers of metal atoms share their valence electrons but in a manner different from
covalent bonding. The metal atoms in a sample pool their valence electrons into an evenly
distributed “sea” of electrons that “flows” between and around the metal nuclei and core
electrons. The electrons are delocalized and move freely throughout the piece of metal.
The distinctive properties of metals (malleable, ductile, conductive, high melting points,
low ionization energy, etc.) are caused by the larger size of metal atoms, their delocalized
electrons, and the way in which metal atoms slide past each other but do not easily separate.
In contrast, solid nonmetals are brittle/crumbly because their atoms are smaller with
electrons that are not easily lost, nor do they slide past each other.
5. Van Deer Waals Force
Like hydrogen bonds, van der Waals interactions are weak attractions or interactions
between molecules. Van der Waals attractions can occur between any two or more
molecules and are dependent on slight fluctuations of the electron densities, which are not
always symmetrical around an atom. For these attractions to happen, the molecules need
to be very close to one another. These bonds—along with ionic, covalent, and hydrogen
bonds—contribute to the three-dimensional structure of proteins that is necessary for their
proper function.
Secondary bonds are weak in comparison to primary bonds. They are found in most
materials, but their effects are often overshadowed by the strength of the primary bonding.
Secondary bonds are not bonds with a valence electron being shared or donated. They are
usually formed when an uneven charge distribution occurs, creating what is known as a
dipole (the total charge is zero, but there is slightly more positive or negative charge on
one end of the atom than on the other). These dipoles can be produced by a random
fluctuation of the electrons around what is normally an electrically symmetric field in the
atom. Once a random dipole is formed in one atom, an induced dipole is formed in the
adjacent atom. This is the type of bonding present in N2 molecules, and is known as Van
Der Waals Bonding.

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CHM 101 GENERAL CHEMISTRY I (2 Units)

Lecture 4 Lecturer: Mr. Ogundele, O.D.

a) Nonpolar Covalent (usually simply called “covalent”)

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