{"id":34724,"date":"2017-11-29T21:52:22","date_gmt":"2017-11-29T21:52:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/?page_id=34724"},"modified":"2026-03-28T11:06:01","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T16:06:01","slug":"what-are-covalent-bonds","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/what-are-covalent-bonds\/","title":{"rendered":"Covalent Bonds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t<div id=\"mmDeferVideoEncompass_Y3hLVBnqzUc\" style=\"position: relative;\">\n\t\t\t<picture>\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.webp\" type=\"image\/webp\">\n\t\t\t\t<source srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" type=\"image\/jpeg\"> \n\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"eager\" id=\"videoThumbnailImage_Y3hLVBnqzUc\" data-source-videoID=\"Y3hLVBnqzUc\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/circle-play-duotone.png\" alt=\"Covalent Bonds Video\" height=\"464\" width=\"825\" class=\"size-full\" data-matomo-title = \"Covalent Bonds\">\n\t\t\t<\/picture>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<style>img#videoThumbnailImage_Y3hLVBnqzUc:hover {cursor:pointer;} img#videoThumbnailImage_Y3hLVBnqzUc {background-size:contain;background-image:url(\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/60-covalent-bonds-resized-1.webp\");}<\/style>\n\t\t\t<script defer>\n\t\t\t  jQuery(\"img#videoThumbnailImage_Y3hLVBnqzUc\").click(function() {\n\t\t\t\tlet videoId = jQuery(this).attr(\"data-source-videoID\");\n\t\t\t\tlet helpTag = '<div id=\"mmDeferVideoYTMessage_Y3hLVBnqzUc\" style=\"display: none;position: absolute;top: -24px;width: 100%;text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-style: italic;font-size: small;border-top: 1px solid #fc0;\">Having trouble? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v='+videoId+'\" target=\"_blank\">Click here to watch on YouTube.<\/a><\/span><\/div>';\n\t\t\t\tlet tag = document.createElement(\"iframe\");\n\t\t\t\ttag.id = \"yt\" + videoId;\n\t\t\t\ttag.src = \"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/\" + videoId + \"?autoplay=1&controls=1&wmode=opaque&rel=0&egm=0&iv_load_policy=3&hd=0&enablejsapi=1\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.frameborder = 0;\n\t\t\t\ttag.allow = \"autoplay; fullscreen\";\n\t\t\t\ttag.width = this.width;\n\t\t\t\ttag.height = this.height;\n\t\t\t\ttag.setAttribute(\"data-matomo-title\",\"Covalent Bonds\");\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_Y3hLVBnqzUc\").html(tag);\n\t\t\t\tjQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoEncompass_Y3hLVBnqzUc\").prepend(helpTag);\n\t\t\t\tsetTimeout(function(){jQuery(\"div#mmDeferVideoYTMessage_Y3hLVBnqzUc\").css(\"display\", \"block\");}, 2000);\n\t\t\t  });\n\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\n<p><script>\nfunction upt_Function() {\n  var x = document.getElementById(\"upt\");\n  if (x.style.display === \"none\") {\n    x.style.display = \"block\";\n  } else {\n    x.style.display = \"none\";\n  }\n}\n<\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"moc-toc hide-on-desktop hide-on-tablet\">\n<div><button onclick=\"upt_Function()\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/toc2.svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"show or hide table of contents\"><\/button><\/p>\n<p>On this page<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<nav id=\"upt\" style=\"display:none;\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#What_is_a_Covalent_Bond\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">What is a Covalent Bond?<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#The_Octet_Rule_and_Electronegativity\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">The Octet Rule and Electronegativity<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Notation_for_Covalent_Bonds\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Notation for Covalent Bonds<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"toc-h2\"><a href=\"#Versatility\" class=\"smooth-scroll\">Versatility<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"accordion\"><input id=\"transcript\" type=\"checkbox\" class=\"spoiler_button\" \/><label for=\"transcript\">Transcript<\/label>\n<div class=\"spoiler\" id=\"transcript-spoiler\">\n<p>Hey there! Welcome to this Mometrix video over one of the most basic types of bonds: covalent bonds!<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"What_is_a_Covalent_Bond\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>What is a Covalent Bond?<\/h2>\n<p>\nA covalent bond is a type of chemical bonding that refers to the sharing of valence electrons between atoms in an attempt to become stable. Unlike ionic bonds where <a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/structure-of-atoms\/\">atoms<\/a> gain or lose electrons, covalent bonds involve the sharing of electrons.<\/p>\n<p>Here is another way to remember it: <em>co<\/em> means &#8220;share&#8221; and <em>valent<\/em> means &#8220;valence.&#8221; So, we get &#8220;the sharing of valence electrons.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"The_Octet_Rule_and_Electronegativity\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>The Octet Rule and Electronegativity<\/h2>\n<p>\nAtoms just want to be stable like the noble gases in the world, which means they have to achieve the octet rule, meaning they need 8 electrons in their outer shell (valence electrons). Atoms that have a similar electronegativity tend to bond covalently.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Octet-rule.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"\" height=\"\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-215971\"  role=\"img\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span id=\"Single_Bonds_and_Double_Bonds\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Single Bonds and Double Bonds<\/h3>\n<p>\nFor instance, chlorine atoms are highly <a class=\"ylist\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/electronegativity\/\">electronegative<\/a> with 7 electrons, and just one away from achieving the octet rule. So, when you get two chlorine atoms they are going to say to one another \u201cThis for sure is not going to be an ionic relationship. You aren\u2019t getting any of these electrons! I\u2019m one away from having an octet, I\u2019m not givin\u2019 up nothin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/CL-twice.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"\" height=\"\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-215971\"  role=\"img\" \/><\/p>\n<p>So, in this case, the solution is to compromise and share, because they are more stable together than apart. Because they each are sharing one electron, this is called a single bond. However, atoms can share multiple electrons, like oxygen.<\/p>\n<p>Oxygen atoms also have a high electronegativity with 2 unpaired electrons; so, when an oxygen atom crosses the path of another oxygen atom, then they are going to double bond, and thus satisfying the octet rule.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Notation_for_Covalent_Bonds\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Notation for Covalent Bonds<\/h2>\n<p>\nAnother helpful tool to know is the notation for single-bond and double-bond. If you don\u2019t know it you may think that you are being asked to subtract a chlorine from a chlorine, or that an oxygen atom (O) equals an oxygen atom. But, when you see one dash between two chlorine molecules this signifies that a single bond has taken place, and when you see two dashes, looking like an equal sign, this signifies that a double bond has taken place.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Versatility\" class=\"m-toc-anchor\"><\/span>Versatility<\/h2>\n<p>\nCovalent bonds are awesome, because they allow for a vast variety of compounds, much more than ionic bonds. Because of covalent bonding we have things like water (H<sub>2<\/sub>O), carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2<\/sub>), the kind of alcohol that people drink (C<sub>2<\/sub>H<sub>5<\/sub>OH), and even larger compounds like aspirin, estrogen, and testosterone. All proteins in your body are made up of hundreds, thousands, and even millions of atoms all covalently bonded. Another cool thing to note is that all of your larger compounds are going to be crawling with carbon atoms, because carbon is able to continually build on itself.<\/p>\n<p>Covalent bonds are one of the most simple yet intrinsic gifts.<\/p>\n<p>I hope this was helpful! See you next time!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"home-buttons\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/chemistry\/\">Return to Chemistry Videos<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Return to Chemistry Videos<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":91000,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-34724","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"page_category-chemistry-bonds-videos","7":"page_type-video","8":"subject_matter-science"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/34724","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34724"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/34724\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":283699,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/34724\/revisions\/283699"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91000"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mometrix.com\/academy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34724"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}