If atoms are truely neutral there should be no electrostic attraction between them. Then what make them to form co-valent bond? To be precise, I want to know what kinds of physics lie behind this process.
2007-01-06 02:31:52 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Atoms are made up of a nucleus containing neutrons and protons, and electrons, which are arranged in shells around the nucleus. When an atom is neutral, the number of protons and electrons are equal. However, if an atom is neutral, it does not mean it is not reactive: atoms react when they are unstable, and they are unstable when the outer shell of electrons is not full.
Each shell surrounding the nucleus can only take a certain number of electrons, which is the same for every element.
the shell closest to the nucleus (first shell) can take 2.
second shell - 8
third shell - 8
fourth shell - 18
etc. The shells will fill before there is a new one, so it is only the number of electrons in the outer shell that matters to an atom's reactivity. The closer to having a full outer shell an atom is, the less reactive it is.
Anyway. Covalent bonding..
Covalent bonding is when atoms form bonds by sharing electrons to make a full outer shell - the shells of each atom cross over to include each other's outer shell electrons. These are very strong bonds.
The easiest example of this is hydrogen. A single hydrogen atom has one proton in the nucleus and one electron - so it is neutral. However, this means its outer shell is shell 1, so it needs 1 more electron to complete it.
To do this, hydrogen atoms form pairs, so their shells overlap, and they share electrons. Between the two of them, they have two electrons, but because they are sharing, it means that the outer shells of both feel full. This is why hydrogen gas is found in molecules (H2) - there are always two atoms of hydrogen joined together.
I hope this helps - it's hard to explain without diagrams!
2007-01-06 02:53:41 · answer #1 · answered by and_rhianna 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
most atoms have unfilled valence shells in their electron configuration. As a result, the atom wants to fill their valence shells (8 electrons in valence) and will either repel an electron or attract electrons from other atoms. This will make it bond to other atoms in order for it to be "happy". This is what forms a covalent bond -- a sharing of electrons between atoms
2007-01-06 02:51:20 · answer #2 · answered by ĐάνίĐ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Polar Covalent Bond, is variety of bonding the place 2 factors share a pair of electrons, yet one atom/element is greater electronegative than the different, in turn the pair of electron is a lot closer to the main electronegative atom.
2016-10-30 04:01:00 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A molecule is stable when all atoms have their external shell either completely full or empty. Atoms are always in motion due to thermal agitation. So, when two atoms which can reaarange their external shells in order to fulfill that condition encounter, they share their electrons and form a covalent bound
2007-01-06 02:42:33 · answer #4 · answered by maussy 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Atoms although neutral are not all stable. In order to achieve stability they need what is called an "octet" or eight electrons in its outermost shell. So atoms will share electrons in order to achieve this stability therefore forming covalent bonds/
2007-01-06 02:50:41 · answer #5 · answered by lily 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋