GENERAL CHEMISTRY I Unit 8: chemical bonding

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Chemical bonding refers to the process by which atoms are held together in a molecule, through the sharing or exchange of electrons between the atoms. There are several types of chemical bonds, including ionic bonds, covalent bonds, and metallic bonds. Ionic bonds occur between two atoms of different electronegativities, where one atom loses an electron to become a positive ion (cation) and the other atom gains an electron to become a negative ion (anion). The ions are held together by the attraction between the positive and negative charges. Covalent bonds occur between two atoms of similar electronegativities, where the electrons are shared between the atoms in order to fill their valence electron shells. This results in the creation of a molecule. Metallic bonds occur in metals, where the metal atoms are held together by a "sea" of delocalized electrons that are free to move throughout the metal. Chemical bonding is a fundamental concept in chemistry, as it determines the physical and chemical properties of a substance, including its reactivity, stability, and boiling point.