20 Questions
What is the best strategy for a chlorine atom to complete its valence level?
Taking an electron
What determines whether sharing, taking, or donating electrons is the best strategy for an atom?
Electronegativity
How many valence electrons does a chlorine atom have?
Seven
What is the valence electron configuration of a chlorine atom?
2, 8, 7
What is the best strategy for a sodium atom to complete its valence level?
Donating an electron
What happens when sodium gives its extra electron to chlorine?
Both become stable
What happens to the shared electrons in a polar covalent bond?
They spend more time in the cloud of the more electronegative atom
How are the partial charges on atoms in a polar covalent bond designated?
With the lowercase Greek letter Delta, followed by either a plus or minus sign
What do we mean by partial charges in a polar covalent bond?
The more electronegative atom will be slightly negative while the less electronegative atom will be slightly positive
What is the result of the partial charges on atoms in a polar covalent bond?
The molecule now has two poles; a partially positive pole and a partially negative pole
How do the partial charges in a polar covalent bond affect the molecule's interaction with other polar molecules?
The polarity affects how different polar molecules can interact with each other
Why is the more electronegative atom slightly negative in a polar covalent bond?
Shared electrons spend more time in its electron cloud
What is the significance of the lowercase Greek letter Delta in a polar covalent bond?
It designates the partial charges on atoms
Why won't the atoms in a polar covalent bond always be positively or negatively charged?
Because the atoms won't always spend more time being positively or negatively charged
What type of bond is formed between sodium and chlorine?
Ionic bond
What is the result of an ionic bond?
Two ions with opposite charges
What happens when two atoms have similar electronegativities?
They form a nonpolar covalent bond
What type of bond results in partial charges on each atom?
Polar covalent bond
What happens to the stability of sodium and chlorine after the electron exchange?
Both become more stable
What is the term for a positively charged ion?
Cation
Study Notes
Chemical Bonding and Ionic Bonds
- When sodium gives its electron to chlorine, it becomes more stable as its outer shell now has eight electrons.
- The electron exchange creates a positively charged sodium ion (cation) and a negatively charged chlorine ion (anion).
- The opposite charges of the ions lead to an attraction and the formation of an ionic bond between sodium and chlorine.
- Sodium chloride, formed by the ionic bond between sodium and chlorine, is commonly known as table salt and has stable salt crystals due to strong ionic bonds.
- Ionic bonds can be strong, but they can be broken by adding water, leading to the dissolution of the salt into individual ions.
- Covalent bonds are formed when atoms share electrons to achieve a full valence level, especially when electronegativities are similar or low.
- Atoms with very different electronegativities exchange electrons, forming ionic bonds.
- Polar covalent bonds occur when electrons are shared unequally due to differences in electronegativities, resulting in partial charges on each atom.
- Nonpolar covalent bonds occur when electrons are shared equally between atoms, leading to a neutral molecule.
- Polar covalent bonds are partially between nonpolar covalent and ionic bonds, with unequal electron sharing but no complete electron exchange.
- Electrons exist in electron clouds, and in covalent bonds, shared valence electrons are likely to spend more time in the middle between the atoms.
- In polar covalent bonds, the more electronegative atom pulls the shared electrons closer, resulting in partial negative and positive charges on the molecule.
Test your knowledge of the valence levels and stability diagram of a chlorine atom in this quiz. Explore how atoms deal with instability and complete their valence levels through electron sharing. Gain a deeper understanding of the stability of chlorine atoms.
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