1 of 45 © Boardworks Ltd 2007

Why do atoms form bonds?

Bonds involve the electrons in the outer shells of atoms.

Each shell has a maximum number of electrons that it can

hold. Electrons fill the shells nearest the nucleus first.

1st shell holds a

maximum of 2 electrons

2nd shell holds a

maximum of 8 electrons

3rd shell holds a

maximum of 8 electrons

Filled electron shells are very stable.

2 of 45 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Why do atoms form bonds?
The atoms of noble gases have completely
full outer shells and so are stable.

This makes the noble gases very unreactive

and so they do not usually form bonds.

The atoms of other elements have

incomplete outer electron shells
and so are unstable.

By forming bonds, the atoms of these

elements are able to have filled outer
shells and become stable.

3 of 45 © Boardworks Ltd 2007

What is a covalent bond?
Non-metal elements usually just need one or two electrons
to fill their outer shells. So how do they form a bond?

incomplete
Cl outer shells Cl

The two non-metal atoms cannot form a bond by transferring

electrons from one to another. Instead, they share electrons.

Each atom now

Cl Cl has a full, stable
outer shell.
The shared electrons join the atoms together.
This is called a covalent bond.
4 of 45 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
How is a covalent bond drawn?

A covalent bond consists of a shared pair of electrons.

Cl Cl
covalent bond
Only outer shells of electrons are involved in bonding, so the
inner shells do not always have to be included in diagrams.
Two common ways to represent a covalent bond are:

simplified Cl–Cl
dot and solid
Cl Cl
cross
diagram
line Cl – Cl
5 of 45 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Comparing covalent and ionic bonding

6 of 45 © Boardworks Ltd 2007

7 of 45 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
How are covalent bonds formed?
How do non-metal atoms form covalent bonds?

8 of 45 © Boardworks Ltd 2007

Covalent bonding in hydrogen
Many non-metal elements, such as hydrogen, exist as
simple diatomic molecules that contain covalent bonds.
How is a covalent bond formed in hydrogen?

H H H H

Each hydrogen atom needs one more electron in its outer

shell and so each atom shares its single unpaired electron.
This shared pair of electrons forms a covalent bond and so
creates a diatomic molecule of hydrogen.
Some molecules contain double or triple covalent bonds.
How are these are formed?
9 of 45 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
What are the types of covalent bonds?

10 of 45 © Boardworks Ltd 2007

Can compounds contain covalent bonds?

Covalent bonding can also occur between atoms of different

non-metals to create molecules of covalent compounds.
These covalent bonds can be single, double or triple.
How is a covalent bond formed in hydrogen chloride (HCl,
also represented as H–Cl)?

H Cl H Cl

Hydrogen and chlorine both need one more electron to fill

outer shells. By sharing one electron each, they both have
a stable outer shell and a covalent bond is formed.
11 of 45 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
Covalent bonding in water
Compounds can contain more than one covalent bond.
Oxygen (2.6) needs 2 more electrons, but hydrogen [1] only
needs 1 more. How can these three elements be joined by
covalent bonding?
The oxygen atom shares 1
electron with 1 hydrogen
atom, and a second electron O
with another hydrogen H H
atom.

What is the name of the molecule that is formed?

H2O (or H–O–H) is water.

12 of 45 © Boardworks Ltd 2007

How is the ratio of atoms calculated?
To calculate the ratio of atoms in a stable covalent compound:

1. Work out how many electrons are needed by each

non-metal element to complete its outer electron shell.
2. Work out the ratio of atoms that will provide enough

shared electrons to fill all the outer shells.

For example, how element N H
many nitrogen and electron
hydrogen atoms configuration (2.5) (1)
bond together in an electrons
ammonia molecule? needed 3 1

ratio of
atoms 1 3

13 of 45 © Boardworks Ltd 2007

 Covalent bonding in ammonia
How do nitrogen and hydrogen atoms form covalent bonds
in a molecule of ammonia?
element N H
electron
configuration (2.5) (1)

electrons H N H
needed 3 1

ratio of
atoms 1 3
H

NH3 or H N H
H
14 of 45 © Boardworks Ltd 2007
 Covalent bonding in carbon dioxide
How do carbon and oxygen atoms form covalent bonds in
a molecule of carbon dioxide?
element C O
electron
configuration (2.4) (2.6)
O C O
electrons
needed 4 2

ratio of
atoms 1 2
double bonds

CO2 or O C O
A double bond is when two pairs of electrons are shared.

In carbon dioxide there are two double bonds

– one
15 of 45
between each oxygen atom and the carbon atom.
© Boardworks Ltd 2007
Anagrams

16 of 45 © Boardworks Ltd 2007

Multiple-choice quiz

17 of 45 © Boardworks Ltd 2007

If the animation does not work, please use the below link.
3. Covalent Bonding
• www.middlesbrough.gov.uk › sites › default › files › 1...
• Video links
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp3RIfq_udM
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhEm7aAKIDg
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5I_1jRGSR9E

18 of 45 © Boardworks Ltd 2007