Bonding and Structure Basics Flashcards
To understand the foundational principles of chemical bonding, including the different types of bonding (ionic, covalent, and metallic) and how bond strength and length relate to molecular structure.
What type of bonding involves the transfer of electrons?
Focus on the type of bond formed by metals and nonmetals.
Ionic bonding.
Ionic bonds are formed between metals and nonmetals, resulting in a positively and negatively charged ion pair. Ionic bonds are common in salts like NaCl, where sodium donates an electron to chlorine, creating charged ions.
What is a covalent bond?
Think about the way electrons are shared between atoms.
A bond formed by sharing electrons between atoms.
Covalent bonds can be either polar (unequal sharing) or nonpolar (equal sharing), depending on the electronegativity of the atoms involved.
What is hybridization in covalent bonding?
Consider how atomic orbitals combine to form new bonding orbitals.
The combination of atomic orbitals to form hybrid orbitals for bonding.
Hybridization helps explain molecular shapes. For example, sp³ hybridization results in a tetrahedral shape, while sp² gives a trigonal planar shape.
What is the bond length trend across single, double, and triple bonds?
Consider how the number of shared electrons affects bond length.
Triple < Double < Single.
As bond order increases (triple > double > single), bond length shortens because more electrons are shared, pulling the atoms closer together.
Which bond is stronger: a triple bond or a single bond?
Focus on the relative strength of bonds based on the number of shared e-
A triple bond.
Triple bonds are stronger and shorter due to the higher number of shared electrons compared to single bonds.
