Science, Chemical Reactions, Ionic and Covalent Bonding

Question 1

Why do atoms bond?

Answer 1

All atoms want a full outer shell of electrons (remembering the 2, 8, 8 rule) to become stable.
To achieve this, they react and covalently or ionically bond with other atoms

Question 2

Between which kinds of atoms does covalent bonding take place?

Metal or non-metal

Answer 2

Between non-metal and non-metal atoms

Question 3

How does covalent bonding work?

Answer 3

Atoms share electrons by overlapping their outer shells.
The shared pair of electrons is the covalent bond.
The product is always a molecule

Question 4

Between which kinds of atoms does ionic bonding take place?

Answer 4

Between metal and non-metal atoms

Question 5

How does ionic bonding work?

Answer 5

Involves the transfer of electrons (unlike covalent bonding, which involves the sharing of electrons).
The metal atoms give away electrons to get a full outer shell.
The non-metal atoms receive electrons to get a full outer shell.

Question 6

What do atoms turn into after bonding ionically?

Answer 6

Metal atoms form positive ions, or cations
Non-metal atoms form negative ions, or anions

Question 7

What are ions?

Answer 7

Electonically charged particles

Question 8

How do ions form?

Answer 8

When an atom gains or loses electrons

Question 9

Why are ions charged?

Answer 9

By default, atoms have no charge at all (because the charge of protons and electrons cancel out).
Ions have positive or negative charge because there is a different number of electons than the default