Why do atoms form chemical bonds

Apr 24, Explanation: Atoms form two basic bonds, Covalent or Ionic bonds, to fill the full outer shell of electrons. Related questions What is the Lennard-Jones potential? Why do elements share electrons? Can carbon form 4 bonds? Methane and water have only single covalent bonds, but carbon dioxide has double covalent bonds between the central carbon atom and the oxygen atoms.

The red dots and the blue exes represent the valence electrons. Why do atoms form chemical bonds? Nov 4, Explanation: Neutral atoms are unstable because they do not have filled valence shells, which for most atoms means having 8 valence electrons an octet , except for hydrogen and lithium, whose valence shells are full with 2 valence electrons a duet. Related questions How do I determine the molecular shape of a molecule?

Because oppositely charged ions attract each other, these atoms will readily form chemical bonds with each other. You can use the periodic table to make several predictions about whether atoms will form bonds and what type of bonds they might form with each other. On the far right-hand side of the periodic table is the group of elements called the noble gases. Atoms of these elements e. These atoms are stable and very rarely form bonds with other atoms.

One of the best ways to predict whether atoms will bond with each other and what type of bonds they will form is to compare the electronegativity values of the atoms. Electronegativity is a measure of the attraction an atom has to electrons in a chemical bond.

A large difference between electronegativity values between atoms indicates one atom is attracted to electrons, while the other can accept electrons. These atoms usually form ionic bonds with each other. This type of bond forms between a metal atom and a nonmetal atom. If the electronegativity values between two atoms are comparable, they may still form chemical bonds to increase the stability of their valence electron shell.

These atoms usually form covalent bonds. You can look up electronegativity values for each atom to compare them and decide whether an atom will form a bond or not. Electronegativity is a periodic table trend, so you can make general predictions without looking up specific values. Electronegativity increases as you move from left to right across the periodic table except for the noble gases.

It decreases as you move down a column or group of the table. Atoms on the left-hand side of the table readily form ionic bonds with atoms on the right side again, except the noble gases. On the other hand, protons and neutrons are very similar in mass and occupy the center of the atom at the nucleus. The electrons are about 2, times less massive than the already tiny protons and neutrons. Electrons are conceived of as flitting about some distance from the nucleus in quantized energy levels. Being on the ill-defined outer fringes of atoms, they are the subatomic particles that participate in chemical bonding.

There are three basic ways or four, depending on your level of permissiveness in which atoms can form a chemical bond; examples of each are given below. The covalent bond : One reason atoms form bonds is that they are able to share electrons with other atoms to complete the valence shells of both. The valence shells of the lightest two elements, hydrogen and helium, can hold up to two electrons; the valence shells of most of the familiar elements can accommodate eight electrons.

A water molecule, H 2 O , consists of three atoms and two identical covalent H—O bonds. The ionic bond : A second reason atoms form bonds is that they are able to donate electrons to, or receive electrons from, other atoms to complete their respective valence shells.

These bonds are usually stronger than covalent bonds because of the electronegativity difference between them the physical impetus for a "donation" rather than a "sharing".