SC6a

Dot and cross diagrams:

covalent molecules

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 SC6a Dot and cross diagrams: covalent molecules

Covalent molecules
These electronic configurations represent a hydrogen atom
and an oxygen atom.

A hydrogen atom has one electron. An oxygen atom has

eight electrons, with six electrons in its outer shell.
 Hydrogen needs one more electron to fill its outer shell.
 Oxygen needs two more electrons to fill its outer shell.

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 SC6a Dot and cross diagrams: covalent molecules

Covalent molecules
Hydrogen and oxygen atoms share electrons when they
combine to form water.

Each shared pair of electrons forms a covalent bond:

 one electron comes from a hydrogen atom and one
electron comes from the oxygen atom.
Each atom is now stable because it has a full outer shell.
The covalent bonds within the molecule are very strong.

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 SC6a Dot and cross diagrams: covalent molecules

Covalent bonds
Here are electronic configurations of two nitrogen atoms.
Nitrogen gas has the formula N2. How do two nitrogen
atoms combine to form a molecule?

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 SC6a Dot and cross diagrams: covalent molecules

Covalent bonds
The outer shell of a nitrogen atom contains five electrons.
Each atom must gain three electrons to fill its outer shell.
Each atom shares three electrons with the other nitrogen
atom.
The dot and cross diagram below shows that a triple
covalent bond is formed.

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 SC6a Dot and cross diagrams: covalent molecules

1 Draw dot and cross diagrams (outer shells only) for:

a) bromine (Br2)
b) ammonia (NH3)
a) bromine b) ammonia

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