What is the difference between the two?
What are these [listed below], covalent or ionic bonds?
Oxygen-
Nitrogen-
Carbon-
Sulfur-
Phosphorus-
Chlorine-
Potassium-
Calcium-
I really need help with this, it is extremely confusing for me. Please and thank you. I truly do appreciate it.
2007-11-08 12:51:21 · 4 answers · asked by michaela. 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
oxygen covalent
nitrogen covalent
carbon covalent
sulfur covalent
phosphorus covalent
chlorine ionic
potassium ionic
calcium ionic
2007-11-08 12:58:22 · answer #1 · answered by OKIM IM 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Atoms aren't covalent or ionic- bonds are. A chlorine atom bonded to another chlorine atom makes a perfect covalent bond, but a chlorine atom bonded to a sodium atom is very ionic. Bonds aren't normally 100% covalent or ionic either, but somewhere in the middle. You can determine whether a bond is more covalent or ionic by subtracting electronegativities.
Subtract the electronegativity of the less electronegative atom from the electronegativity of the more electronegative atom. If the difference is 1.8-2.0, the bond is about 50/50 covalent/ionic. The higher the difference above 2.0, the more ionic the bond is. The closer to 0 the difference, the more covalent. The only atoms that make perfect covalent bonds are same atom bonds such as C-C and Cl-Cl.
2007-11-08 13:27:05 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
usually non-metals are covalents
metals are ionic. it actually depends on electronegativity. look it up on google
2007-11-08 13:13:30 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it sounds like someone doesn't want to do their own homework!!
2007-11-08 12:57:44 · answer #4 · answered by pollyzmama 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋