How the term octet relates to both ionic and covalent bonding?

Question

I'm doing this project and i need to know how they relate!!!

Thanks

Answer 1

In Covalent Bonding if an atom, for example, had a +1 valence, meaning it was missing an electron (with respect to the octet rule), and another a -1 valence, meaning it had an extra electron (with respect to the octet rule), then a bond between these two atoms would result because they would be complementing or sharing their out of balance valence tendencies.

Answer 2

An atom always wants to have 8 electrons in it's outermost energy level. This is called an octet.

In ionic bonding, an atom wants to actually rip one or more electrons from another atom so that it has an octet. For instance, chlorine, which has 7 electrons in it's outermost energy level, will rip sodiums outermost electron away from it so that it has 8. It will then be negatively charged, and the sodium will be postively charged -- they will be attracted to each other and become table salt. (Sodium chloride)

In covalent bonding, one atom will want to get an octet, but doesn't have enough pull to actually rip the electron away. Since it can't TAKE the electron, it'll share to get an octet. For example, oxygen has 6 electrons in its outermost energy level. The oxygen sees two hydrogen atoms which have 1 electron each. The hydrogens are holding on to those electrons too tightly for the oxygen to take them away. Soooo, the oxygen will share electrons with the hydrogens... each hydrogen contributes 1 electron, the oxygen contributes 6. The oxygen now has 8 electrons -- an octet.