Covalent Bonding

Xiaolan Li
Covalent Bond Formation

O=O
Covalent bonding: electrostatic a
ttraction between the pair of shar
ed electrons and the positively ch
arged nuclei.
Which statement is true for compounds
containing only covalent bonds?
A. They are held together by electrostatic force
s of attraction between oppositely charged ions.
B. They are made up of metal elements only.
C. They are made up of a metal from the far lef
t of the periodic table and a non-metal from the
far right of the periodic table.
D. They are made up of non-metal elements onl
y.
C C single, double, triple bond l
ength and strength
Bond Length and Strength
Bond length: the distance between
the two bonded atoms’ nuclei
Bond strength: a measure of the e
nergy required for the dissociatio
n of the bond.
 Covalent Bonding
Length /nm Strength / kJ mol-1
C–C 0.154 348
C=C 0.134 612
C≡C 0.120 837

Bond number Length Strength

C–C
C=C increase decrease increase
C≡C
Which of the following increase(s) for
the bonding between carbon atoms in the
sequence of molecules C2H6, C2H4 and C2H2?
I. Number of bonds
II. Length of bonds
III. Strength of bonding
A. I only
B. I and III only
C. III only
D. I, II and II
Octet rule: atoms tend to achieve the elect
ron configuration of noble gases closet to t
hem, a stable arrangement of 8 electrons in
their outer shells. Exceptions: H-2, Be-4,
B-6.
molecule line dot Dot & cross Structural formula
H2 H–H H–H

Cl2 Cl – Cl
Lewis Structure
1. Locate the central atom;
2. Calculate the total number of valence electrons;
3. Calculate the total number of bonds to be formed;
4. Draw the structural formula of the molecule to sho
w how the atoms are linked to each other, form double
or triple bonds if necessary (calculation required)
5. Add more electron pairs to complete the octet arou
nd the atoms (except H, Be, B)
5. Check the total number of electrons in your finish
ed structure is equal to the total number of valence
electrons calculated from Step 1(charge conservation)
.
Central atom: forming most bonds/
least electronegative
Please draw the Lewis structure f
or CCl4, C2H4, C2H2, H3O+, H2O, NH4+,
NH3, BF3, BeCl2, N2, CO, SO2, O3, BF
4
-
, HClO, CH 3 COOH, CO 3 , and H2CO3.
2-
Draw the Lewis structure of methanoic acid, HCOOH
.

State and explain the relationship between the le

ngth and strength of the bonds between the carbon
atom and the two oxygen atoms in methanoic acid.
greater number of electrons between nuclei pull a
toms together and require greater energy to break
Dipole: opposite charge separatio
n
Which compound contains both ioni
c and covalent bonds?
A.MgCl2
B.HCl
C.H2CO
D.NH4Cl
Linear
Planar Triangular

Bent/V-shaped

Triangular Pyramidal Tetrahedral

Definition
Molecular geometry/molecular shape: 3D ori
entation of bonded atoms

Bond angle: the angle between bonded atoms

To count the total # of charge centres and
# of bonds and lone pairs on the central
atom is the crucial step in deciding MS
and BA.
Negative Charge centre: area with electron
distribution(ED), 1 lone pairs=1 charge ce
ntre, 1 single bond or multiple bond = 1 c
harge centre.
 Prediction of Bond Angles and Mo
lecular Shape
Using VSEPR theory

VSEPR(Valence Shell Electron Pair

Repulsion Theory)

Valence shell electron pairs of a

toms repel each other and thus pos
ition themselves as far apart as p
ossible.
VSEPR Theory Principles
 1. Find number of charge centres in (valence
shell of) central atom;
 2. Pairs forming a double or triple bond act
as a single bond;
 3. Charge centres (in valence shell) of centr
al atom repel each other;
 4. Adapt position of minimum repulsion and ma
ximum stability;
 5. Non-bonding pairs repel more than bonding
pairs.
Predict the molecular shape and b
ond angle
1. Draw the Lewis structure
2. Count the total # of charge centres on c
entral atom and decide electron geometry
# of Charge 4 3 2
Centre

Electron Tetrahedral Planar Linear

Geometry Triangular

3. Count the # of bonds and decide MS.

4. Count the # of lone pairs and adjust BA.
 Exercise
LS (CC#, LP#) ED MS BA

CH4 (4,0) Tetrahedral Tetrahedral 109.5

NH3 (4,1) Tetrahedral Triangular 107

pyramidal
H2O (4,2) Tetrahedral V shaped/bent 105

BF3 (3,0) Planar Planar triangular 120

CO32- triangular

SO2 (3,1) Planar V shaped/bent 117

triangular
CO2 (2,0) Linear Linear 180
 Exercise
LS (CC#, LP#) ED MS BA

NH2-

NH3

NH4+

BF4-

C2H2

C2H4
 Exercise
LS (CC#, LP#) ED MS BA

NH2- (4,0) Tetrahedral V shaped/bent 105

NH3 (4,0) Tetrahedral Triangular 107

pyramidal

NH4+ (4,0) Tetrahedral Tetrahedral 109.5

BF4- (4,0) Tetrahedral Tetrahedral 109.5

C2H2 (2,0) Linear Linear 180

C2H4 (3,0) Planar Planar 120

Triangular Triangular
Practice
Arrange the following in decreasi
ng order of bond angle (largest on
e first), and explain your reasoni
ng. NH2-, NH3, NH4+.
 Practice
State the shape of the electron d
istribution around the oxygen atom
in the water molecule and state th
e shape of the molecule.

State and explain the value of th

e H-O-H bond angle.
Summary
0 lone pair
-(2,0) – linear, 180o
-(3,0) – planar triangular, 120o
-(4,0) – tetrahedral, 109.5o

1 lone pair
-(3,1) – V-shaped/bent, 117o
-(4,1) – triangular pyramidal, 107o

2 lone pair
-(4,2) – V-shaped/bent, 105o
 Table 1(# of charge centers, # of lone pairs)
Number of Electron Molecule shape Bond Examples
charge Distribution angle °
centres

2 (2,0) Linear linear 180 BeCl2, C2H2, CO2,

HCN

3 (3,0) Planar Planar 120 BF3, C2H4, CO32-

triangular triangular

3 (3, 1) Planar Bent <120 SO2, O3,

triangular V-shaped 117 NO2-
1 lone pair cause
greater repulsion
 Table 2
Number of Electron Molecule Bond Examples
charge centres Distribution shape angle °

4 (4, 0) Tetrahedral Tetrahedral 109.5 CH4, CCl4, SiH4, , BF4 －

4 (4, 1) Tetrahedral Pyramidal 107 NH3, PH3, H3O+

1 lone pair cause greater
repulsion

4 (4, 2) Tetrahedral Bent 105 H2O, H2S

V-shaped 2 lone pairs cause greater
repulsion
Homework
Please draw electron distribution
and name the molecular shape and b
ond angles for all the molecules i
n the Table 1&2.
Dipole: opposite charge separatio
n
Molecular Polarity
Molecular Polarity
1. Bond polarity
If only has nonpolar bond: nonpolar molecule
If has polar bond

2. Molecular shape : symmetrical or unsymmetrical

-----Symmetrical MS: tetrahedral, planar triangula

r, linear

-----Unsymmetrical MS: V-shaped, triangular pyrami

dal
Nonpolar molecule: no net dipole
a) no polar bonds H2, Cl2, O3
b) has polar bonds, but molecular shape is symm
etric, bond polarity cancel out. BeCl 2, C2H2 , CO2
, BF3 C2H4, CH4, CCl4, SiH4, NH4+

Polar molecule: have net dipole ( must have pol

ar bonds and bond polarity does not cancel out)
a) unequal polar bonds, CH 3Cl, HCN, CH2Cl2
B) unsymmetrical molecular shape SO 2, NO2, NH3,
PH3, H3O+ H2O, H2S
Practice
1. Show how the VSEPR theory can be u
sed to predict the shape of, and bon
d angle in each of the ions NH4+ H3O+

2. State and explain which of the two

ions are polar, NH4+ H3O+.

3. Please sketch, name and explain the

shape and bond angles of
a) CH4, NH3, H2O b) SiH4, PH3, H2S.