Which type of bond involves sharing electrons between atoms?

Which type of bond involves sharing electrons between atoms?

• A. Covalent
• B. Ionic
• C. Hydrogen
• D. Metallic

Answer: (A)

Sharing electrons to fill outer electron shells is the hallmark of covalent bonding. When atoms—usually nonmetals—come together, they can share one or more pairs of electrons so that each atom completes its outer shell. The shared electrons are counted by both atoms, which is why bonds can be single, double, or triple. This is different from ionic bonding, where electrons are transferred to create ions that attract each other; metallic bonding, where electrons are delocalized in a "sea" around a lattice of ions; and hydrogen bonding, which is a weaker intermolecular attraction rather than a true electron-sharing bond. So the bond formed by sharing electrons between atoms is covalent.

Sharing electrons to fill outer electron shells is the hallmark of covalent bonding. When atoms—usually nonmetals—come together, they can share one or more pairs of electrons so that each atom completes its outer shell. The shared electrons are counted by both atoms, which is why bonds can be single, double, or triple. This is different from ionic bonding, where electrons are transferred to create ions that attract each other; metallic bonding, where electrons are delocalized in a "sea" around a lattice of ions; and hydrogen bonding, which is a weaker intermolecular attraction rather than a true electron-sharing bond. So the bond formed by sharing electrons between atoms is covalent.