[Corvettaholic]

I'm not too clear on the difference between an ionic bond, and a covalent bond... whats the difference? Covalent I'm clueless, but isn't ionic when one atom coughs up an electron and another atom snatches it up and they're buddies from then on?


Edit: edited title for better indexing. Mitch

[Mitch]

In a covalent bond they share the electron. H₂ is the perfect example of such a perfect sharing of electrons.

[Corvettaholic]

OK that makes sense, but lets take NaCl, even though one is losing an electron and the other is gaining one... the electron is still present. So aren't they sharing it too?

[Mitch]

No their not sharing it, you can think of their attraction as simple an electrostatic attraction to a first approximation.

[Corvettaholic]

Gotcha, so thats why covalent bonds are stronger. In covalent, both atoms are latched onto those poor electrons for dear life, where in an ionic bond, they just like being around each other like opposite pole magnets.

[Scratch-]

How do you determine beforehand what bonds are going to be ionic or covalent in a reaction?

[Mitch]

Scratch: Electronegativity. Similiar electronegativities means a covalent bond is formed.

[Scratch-]

So nonsimilars form ionic?

[Mitch]

nope, if they have similar electronegativities like c-n c-h they still form covalent bonds.

[Donaldson Tan]

Gotcha, so thats why covalent bonds are stronger. In covalent, both atoms are latched onto those poor electrons for dear life, where in an ionic bond, they just like being around each other like opposite pole magnets.

Well.. u cant guage covalent bond stronger based on e nature of the bond..

[Corvettaholic]

I've always heard that covalent bonds are stronger than ionic, or is that just a generalization?

[Donaldson Tan]

I never heard of such generalisation. Perhaps it's a misconception raised from the fact that most covalent compounds have lower melting point than their ionic counterparts. It must be noted that melting involves breaking the strong electrostatic attraction between the ions in ionic compound and in the case of simple covalent molecules, it's just overcoming Van Der Waals' forces, London forces, Hydrogen bonding (any form of inter-molecular bonding).