CHEMICAL BONDING

CHM 475
Dr Karimah Kassim
Valence electrons are the outer shell electrons of an
atom. The valence electrons are the electrons that
particpate in chemical bonding.
Group e- configuration # of valence e-
1A ns1 1
2A ns2 2
3A ns2np1 3
4A ns2np2 4
5A ns2np3 5
6A ns2np4 6
7A ns2np5 7

9.1
 The Ionic Bond

Li + F Li+ F -
1s22s1s
1 22s22p5 1s22s22p6
[He][Ne]

Li Li+ + e-
e- + F F -

Li+ + F - Li+ F -
A covalent bond is a chemical bond in which two or more
electrons are shared by two atoms.

Why should two atoms share electrons?

F + F F F
7e- 7e- 8e- 8e-
Lewis structure of F2

lone pairs F F lone pairs

single covalent bond

single covalent bond

lone pairs lone pairs
F F
Lewis structure of water single covalent bonds

H + O + H H O H or H O H
2e-8e-2e-

Double bond – two atoms share two pairs of electrons

O C O or O C O
8e- 8e- 8e- double bonds
double
bonds
Triple bond – two atoms share three pairs of electrons

N N or N N
8e-8e-
triple triple bond
bond
9.4
 Lengths of Covalent Bonds
Bond
Bond Length
Type
(pm)
C-C 154
CC 133
CC 120
C-N 143
CN 138
CN 116
Bond Lengths
Triple bond < Double Bond < Single Bond 9.4
 Writing Lewis Structures

1. Draw skeletal structure of compound showing

what atoms are bonded to each other. Put least
electronegative element in the center.
2. Count total number of valence e-. Add 1 for
each negative charge. Subtract 1 for each
positive charge.
3. Complete an octet for all atoms except
hydrogen
4. If structure contains too many electrons, form
double and triple bonds on central atom as
needed.
Write the Lewis structure of nitrogen trifluoride (NF3).
Step 1 – N is less electronegative than F, put N in center
Step 2 – Count valence electrons N - 5 (2s22p3) and F - 7 (2s22p5)
5 + (3 x 7) = 26 valence electrons
Step 3 – Draw single bonds between N and F atoms and complete
octets on N and F atoms.
Step 4 - Check, are # of e- in structure equal to number of valence e- ?

3 single bonds (3x2) + 10 lone pairs (10x2) = 26 valence electrons

F N F

F
Write the Lewis structure of the carbonate ion (CO32-).
Step 1 – C is less electronegative than O, put C in center
Step 2 – Count valence electrons C - 4 (2s22p2) and O - 6 (2s22p4)
-2 charge – 2e-
4 + (3 x 6) + 2 = 24 valence electrons
Step 3 – Draw single bonds between C and O atoms and complete
octet on C and O atoms.
Step 4 - Check, are # of e- in structure equal to number of valence e- ?
3 single bonds (3x2) + 10 lone pairs (10x2) = 26 valence electrons
Step 5 - Too many electrons, form double bond and re-check # of e-

2 single bonds (2x2) = 4

1 double bond = 4
O C O 8 lone pairs (8x2) = 16
Total = 24
O
 Two possible skeletal structures of formaldehyde (CH2O)

H
H C O H C O
H

An atom’s formal charge is the difference between the

number of valence electrons in an isolated atom and the
number of electrons assigned to that atom in a Lewis
structure.
formal charge total number
total number 1 total number
on an atom in
a Lewis
structure
=
of valence
electrons in -
the free atom
of nonbonding
electrons
- 2 ( of bonding
electrons )
The sum of the formal charges of the atoms in a molecule
or ion must equal the charge on the molecule or ion.
 -1 +1 C – 4 e- 2 single bonds (2x2) = 4
H C O H O – 6 e- 1 double bond = 4
2H – 2x1 e- 2 lone pairs (2x2) = 4
12 e- Total = 12

formal charge total number

total number 1 total number
on an atom in
a Lewis
structure
=
of valence
electrons in -
the free atom
of nonbonding
electrons
- 2 ( of bonding
electrons )
formal charge
on C
= 4 - 2 - ½ x 6 = -1

formal charge
on O
= 6 - 2 - ½ x 6 = +1
 Formal Charge and Lewis Structures
1. For neutral molecules, a Lewis structure in which there
are no formal charges is preferable to one in which
formal charges are present.
2. Lewis structures with large formal charges are less
plausible than those with small formal charges.
3. Among Lewis structures having similar distributions of
formal charges, the most plausible structure is the one in
which negative formal charges are placed on the more
electronegative atoms.
Which is the most likely Lewis structure for CH2O?

-1 +1 H 0 0
H C O H C O
H
A resonance structure is one of two or more Lewis structures
for a single molecule that cannot be represented accurately by
only one Lewis structure.

+ - - +
O O O O O O

What are the resonance structures of the

carbonate (CO32-) ion?

- - - -
O C O O C O O C O

O O O
- -
 Exceptions to the Octet Rule

The Incomplete Octet

Be – 2e-
BeH2 2H – 2x1e- H Be H
4e-

B – 3e- 3 single bonds (3x2) = 6

3F – 3x7e- F B F
BF3 9 lone pairs (9x2) = 18
24e- Total = 24
F
 Exceptions to the Octet Rule

Odd-Electron Molecules

N – 5e-
NO O – 6e- N O
11e-

The Expanded Octet (central atom with principal quantum number n > 2)

F
F F
S – 6e- 6 single bonds (6x2) = 12
SF6 6F – 42e- S 18 lone pairs (18x2) = 36
48e- Total = 48
F F
F
Valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) model:

Predict the geometry of the molecule from the electrostatic

repulsions between the electron (bonding and nonbonding) pairs.

# of atoms # lone
bonded to pairs on Arrangement of Molecular
Class central atom central atom electron pairs Geometry

AB2 2 0 linear linear

B B
 Cl Be Cl

2 atoms bonded to central atom

0 lone pairs on central atom
 VSEPR
# of atoms # lone
bonded to pairs on Arrangement of Molecular
Class central atom central atom electron pairs Geometry

AB2 2 0 linear linear

trigonal trigonal
AB3 3 0
planar planar
 VSEPR
# of atoms # lone
bonded to pairs on Arrangement of Molecular
Class central atom central atom electron pairs Geometry

AB2 2 0 linear linear

trigonal trigonal
AB3 3 0
planar planar
AB4 4 0 tetrahedral tetrahedral
 VSEPR
# of atoms # lone
bonded to pairs on Arrangement of Molecular
Class central atom central atom electron pairs Geometry

AB2 2 0 linear linear

trigonal trigonal
AB3 3 0
planar planar
AB4 4 0 tetrahedral tetrahedral
trigonal trigonal
AB5 5 0
bipyramidal bipyramidal
 VSEPR
# of atoms # lone
bonded to pairs on Arrangement of Molecular
Class central atom central atom electron pairs Geometry

AB2 2 0 linear linear

trigonal trigonal
AB3 3 0
planar planar
AB4 4 0 tetrahedral tetrahedral
trigonal trigonal
AB5 5 0
bipyramidal bipyramidal
AB6 6 0 octahedral octahedral
lone-pair vs. lone pair lone-pair vs. bonding bonding-pair vs. bonding
repulsion
> pair repulsion
> pair repulsion
 VSEPR
# of atoms # lone
bonded to pairs on Arrangement of Molecular
Class central atom central atom electron pairs Geometry

trigonal trigonal
AB3 3 0
planar planar
trigonal
AB2E 2 1 bent
planar
 VSEPR
# of atoms # lone
bonded to pairs on Arrangement of Molecular
Class central atom central atom electron pairs Geometry

AB4 4 0 tetrahedral tetrahedral

trigonal
AB3E 3 1 tetrahedral
pyramidal
 VSEPR
# of atoms # lone
bonded to pairs on Arrangement of Molecular
Class central atom central atom electron pairs Geometry

AB4 4 0 tetrahedral tetrahedral

trigonal
AB3E 3 1 tetrahedral
pyramidal

AB2E2 2 2 tetrahedral bent

O
H H

10.1
 VSEPR
# of atoms # lone
bonded to pairs on Arrangement of Molecular
Class central atom central atom electron pairs Geometry
trigonal trigonal
AB5 5 0
bipyramidal bipyramidal
trigonal distorted
AB4E 4 1
bipyramidal tetrahedron

10.1
 VSEPR
# of atoms # lone
bonded to pairs on Arrangement of Molecular
Class central atom central atom electron pairs Geometry
trigonal trigonal
AB5 5 0
bipyramidal bipyramidal
trigonal distorted
AB4E 4 1
bipyramidal tetrahedron
trigonal
AB3E2 3 2 T-shaped
bipyramidal
F

F Cl

F
 VSEPR
# of atoms # lone
bonded to pairs on Arrangement of Molecular
Class central atom central atom electron pairs Geometry
trigonal trigonal
AB5 5 0
bipyramidal bipyramidal
trigonal distorted
AB4E 4 1
bipyramidal tetrahedron
trigonal
AB3E2 3 2 T-shaped
bipyramidal
trigonal
AB2E3 2 3 linear
bipyramidal
I

I
 VSEPR
# of atoms # lone
bonded to pairs on Arrangement of Molecular
Class central atom central atom electron pairs Geometry

AB6 6 0 octahedral octahedral

square
AB5E 5 1 octahedral
pyramidal
F
F F
Br
F F
 VSEPR
# of atoms # lone
bonded to pairs on Arrangement of Molecular
Class central atom central atom electron pairs Geometry

AB6 6 0 octahedral octahedral

square
AB5E 5 1 octahedral
pyramidal
square
AB4E2 4 2 octahedral
planar
F F
Xe
F F
Predicting Molecular Geometry
1. Draw Lewis structure for molecule.
2. Count number of lone pairs on the central atom and
number of atoms bonded to the central atom.
3. Use VSEPR to predict the geometry of the molecule.

What are the molecular geometries of SO2 and SF4?

O S O F
AB4E
AB2E F S F
distorted
bent tetrahedron
F