Chemical Bonding I:

Basic Concepts

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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
2
Lewis Dot Symbols for the Representative Elements &
Noble Gases

3
 Octet Rule: Any atom in the periodic table (except H, He) prefer
to have 8 electrons in the valance shell to acquire the electronic
distribution of the inert gas in the same period to be stable atom

The atom can loss or gain or char electrons during the formation
of the bond to get 8 electrons in the valance shell

Types of Bonds

1- The Ionic Bond

Ionic bond: the electrostatic attraction force that holds ions (cations of
metals and anions of non-metals) together in an ionic compound.
 e-transfer

Sodium atom Chlorine atom Sodium cation Chloride anion

(metal) (non-metal)
Loss one electron
Na+: 1S2 2S2 2P6
11Na: 1S 2S 2P 3S
2 2 6 1 10

(8 electrons in valance shell)

Gain one electron
17 Cl : 1S2 2S2 2P6 3S2 3P5

18 Cl-: 1S2 2S2 2P6 3S2 3P6

(8 electrons in valance shell)

Na+ + Cl- = NaCl (ionic compound)
5
LiF Li + F Li+ F -
1s22s22p5 1s2 2S2 2P5 [Ne]

Li Li+ + e- [He]

-
e + F F -

Li+ + F - Li+ F -
 Electrostatic (Lattice) Energy
Lattice energy (U) is the energy required to completely separate
one mole of a solid ionic compound into gaseous ions.
E is the potential energy
Q+ is the charge on the cation
E = k Q+Q- Q- is the charge on the anion
r
r is the distance between the ions
Compound Lattice Energy
(kJ/mol)
Lattice energy increases MgF2 2957 Q: +2,-1
as Q increases and/or
MgO 3938 Q: +2,-2
as r decreases.

LiF 1036
r F- < r Cl-
LiCl 853 7
8
2- 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 F F lone pairs

Nonbonding electrons, are called lone pairs—pairs of valence

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electrons that are not involved in covalent bond formation.
 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
double bonds 8e- 8e- 8e- double bonds

Triple bond – two atoms share three pairs of electrons

N N or N N
triple bond 8e-8e-
triple bond
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 Lengths of Covalent Bonds
Bond length is defined as the distance between the
nuclei of two covalently bonded atoms in a molecule

As the number of bonds between sharing

Atoms increase as the bond length decrease
Bond Lengths
Triple bond < Double Bond < Single Bond 11
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 3- Polar covalent bond or polar bond
is a covalent bond with greater electron density around one of the two
atoms Or the bond between two different elements with difference in
electronegativity.

electron poor region

e- poor e- rich
H F
H F
electron rich region
+ -

Electronegativity is the ability of an atom to attract toward itself the

electrons in a chemical bond.
Electron Affinity - measurable, Cl is highest

X (g) + e- X-(g)
Electronegativity - relative, F is highest 14
The Electronegativities of Common Elements

15
 Classification of bonds by difference in electronegativity

Difference Bond Type

0 Covalent
2 Ionic
0 < and <2 Polar Covalent

Increasing difference in electronegativity

Covalent Polar Covalent Ionic

share e- partial transfer of e- transfer 16e-

Classify the following bonds as ionic, polar covalent, or
covalent: The bond in CsCl; the bond in H2S; and the NN bond
in H2NNH2.

Cs – 0.7 Cl – 3.0 3.0 – 0.7 = 2.3 Ionic

H – 2.1 S – 2.5 2.5 – 2.1 = 0.4 Polar Covalent

N – 3.0 N – 3.0 3.0 – 3.0 = 0 Covalent

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 Writing Lewis Structures

1. Draw skeletal structure of compound showing

what atoms are bonded to each other. Put the
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. 18
 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

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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 20
 Write the Lewis structure of the amonium ion (NH4)+1.
Step 1) put N in center +
Step 2) Count valence electrons: 7N (2s22p3) and H

1H (1s ) (VE = 1x5 + 4x1 - 1 (positive charge) = 8)

1
N
H H
Step 3) Draw four bonds (8 electrons) around H

nitrogen atom
Step
Two4) the remaining
possible skeletal electrons
structures=of
8-8 =0
formaldehyde (CH2O)
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

H C – 4 e- 2 single bonds (2x2) = 4

C O O – 6 e- 1 double bond = 4
H 2H – 2x1 e- 2 lone pairs (2x2) = 4
12 e- Total = 12
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Formal charge of the atom
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 total number
( )
on an atom in of valence 1
electrons in - -
a Lewis
= of nonbonding of bonding
electrons 2 electrons
structure the free atom

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 formal charge on C = 4 -2 - ½ x 6 = -1
H C O H formal charge on O = 6 -2 - ½ x 6 = +1

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 H 0 0 formal charge on C = 4 -0 - ½ x 8 = 0
C O
H formal charge on O = 6 -4 - ½ x 4 = 0

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. 23
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
- - 24
 Exceptions to the Octet Rule
1) The Incomplete Octet

Be – 2e-
BeH2 2H – 2x1e- H Be H
4e-

B – 3e-
BF3 3F – 3x7e-
24e-
3 single bonds (3x2) = 6
F B F 9 lone pairs (9x2) = 18
Total = 24
F

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2- Odd-Electron Molecules
N – 5e-
NO O – 6e- N O
11e-

3- The Expanded Octet

(central atom with principal quantum number n > 2)

F
F F
S – 6e-

SF6 6F – 42e- S 6 single bonds (6x2) = 12

48e- 18 lone pairs (18x2) = 36
F F
F Total = 48

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