Chemical bonds are formed by atoms sharing or transferring electrons. The three main types are ionic, covalent, and polar covalent. Hydrogen bonds are also included. Ionic bonds occur when electrons are completely transferred, while covalent bonds occur when electrons are shared. Polar covalent bonds occur when atoms are different in electronegativity. Hydrogen bonds are important in determining the characteristics of water and can occur in other molecules.
Chemical bonds are atoms that are held together within molecules or crystals. They form as a result of atoms sharing electrons. They also form from the complete transfer of electrons. The three main types of bonds are ionic, covalent and polar covalent. Hydrogen bonds are also often included under the heading of chemical bonds.
Ionic bonds are chemical bonds that develop from reactions of low electronegativity elements with high electronegativity ones. In such cases, a complete transfer of electrons takes place. An example of an ionic bond is ordinary table salt, scientifically referred to as sodium chloride. In forming this chemical bond, sodium transfers its outer shell electron to chlorine. Sodium has only one external electron and chlorine requires only one for its shell.
Covalent chemical bonds are a little different and usually form between atoms that lack fully filled outer shells. In covalent bonds, electrons are shared completely. These bonds form between atoms that are similar in electronegativity. Most organic compounds contain covalent bonds.
Polar covalent chemical bonds are somewhere between ionic and covalent bonds; the atoms in these chemical bonds share electrons. However, atoms focus most of their time on a particular atom, rather than others in the same compound. This type of chemical bond forms when atoms are very different in electronegativity. Water is an example of a polar covalent bond; oxygen beats hydrogen in terms of electronegativity. Therefore, the electrons in water spend more time around oxygen than hydrogen.
In water, the oxygen end of the water molecule has a negative charge while the hydrogen end has a positive charge. This opposite charge causes a powerful electrostatic attraction which is considered a hydrogen bond. This type of chemical bond plays an important role in determining the critical characteristics of water, vital for living beings. However, hydrogen bonds are not limited to water alone. They can also occur within other molecules.
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