Third Form Chemistry

Mr. Joaquin Cruz

Cel # 6339604
Email: joaquincruz@bhsa.edu.bz
Week 7 - 8
Independent learning packet
By the end of the week, students will be able to:
1. Differentiate between ionic and covalent compounds
2. Construct the different Lewis structures for covalent bonds
3. Identify compounds and form new bonds

The Octet Rule

Noble gases like He, Ne, Ar, Kr, etc., are stable because their valence level is filled with as many
electrons as possible. Eight electrons fill the valence level for all noble gases, except helium,
which has two electrons in its full valence level. Other elements in the periodic table react to
form bonds in which valence electrons are exchanged or shared in order to achieve a valence
level which is filled, just like in the noble gases. We refer to this chemical tendency of atoms as
‘the octet rule,’ and it guides us in predicting how atoms combine to form molecules and
compounds.

Covalent Bonds and Lewis Diagrams of Simple Molecules

The simplest example to consider is hydrogen (H), which is the smallest element in the periodic
table with one proton and one electron. Hydrogen can become stable if it achieves a full valence
level like the noble gas that is closest to it in the periodic table, helium (He). These are
exceptions to the octet rule because they only require 2 electrons to have a full valence level.

Two H atoms can come together and share each of their electrons to create a ‘covalent bond.’
The shared pair of electrons can be thought of as belonging to either atom, and thus each atom
now has two electrons in its valence level, like He. The molecule that results is H2, and it is the
most abundant molecule in the universe.

Lewis structure of diatomic hydrogen This is the process through which the H2 molecule
is formed. Two H atoms, each contributing an electron, share a pair of electrons. This is known
as a ‘single covalent bond.’ Notice how the two electrons can be found in a region of space
between the two atomic nuclei.

The Lewis formalism used for the H2 molecule is H:H or H—H. The former, known as a ‘Lewis
dot diagram,’ indicates a pair of shared electrons between the atomic symbols, while the latter,
known as a ‘Lewis structure,’ uses a dash to indicate the pair of shared electrons that form a
covalent bond. More complicated molecules are depicted this way as well.
Name: ___________________________ Class: _____________ Worksheet 1

Covalent Practice (complex structures)

1. Describe how a covalent bond forms.

2. Covalent bonds form between what kinds of elements?

3. For each element, draw the Lewis dots diagram (based on valence electrons).

a) N d) P

b) Cl e) Br

c) Se f) Ne

4. For each compound, draw the Lewis dot diagram.

a) NH3 d) HCN

b) PH3 e) CO2

c) H2O f) BF3
By the end of the week, students will be able to:
1. Define binary compounds
2. Identify binary ionic compounds when bonding
3. Name binary ionic compounds

Naming Binary Covalent Compounds

There are many other naming schemes.  There are naming schemes for acids, organic compounds
and simple covalent compounds.  You book covers simple covalent compounds in this chapter
probably because it is so similar to the naming scheme for ionic compounds.  Remember, ionic
compounds are metal combined with a non-metal.  A covalent compound is the combination of
non-metals.

Rules for naming simple covalent compounds:

1.       Name the non-metal furthest to the left on the periodic table by its elemental name.
2.       Name the other non-metal by its elemental name and an -ide ending.
3.       Use the prefixes mono-, di-, tri-.... to indicate the number of that element in the
molecule.
4.       If mono is the first prefix, it is understood and not written

Examples:

N2O4 is called dinitrogen monoxide

CO2 is called carbon dioxide

CO is called carbon monoxide

N2O is called dinitrogen monoxide.  (It is also called nitrous oxide but that is another
naming scheme.)

CCl4 is called carbon tetrachloride

Here is a chart of those prefixes:

1 - mono 2 - di 3 - tri 4 - tetra 5 - penta

6 - hexa 7 - hepta 8 - octa 9 - nona 10 - deca
Name:_________________________ Class: ________________ Worksheet 2:

Names and Formulas of Binary Covalent Compounds

Write the names of the following covalent compounds:

1. SO3 ____________________________________________________________________________________

2. N2S ____________________________________________________________________________________

3. PH3 ____________________________________________________________________________________

4. BF3 ____________________________________________________________________________________

5. P2Br4 __________________________________________________________________________________

6. CO _____________________________________________________________________________________

7. SiO2 ___________________________________________________________________________________

8. SF6 ____________________________________________________________________________________

9. NH3 ___________________________________________________________________________________

10. NO2 ___________________________________________________________________________________

Write the formulas of the following covalent compounds:

11. nitrogen trichloride __________________________________________

12. boron monocarbide __________________________________________

13. dinitrogen trioxide ___________________________________________

14. phosphorus pentafluoride ___________________________________

15. tetraphosphorus decoxide ___________________________________