[wonderkid]

what are the differences btw the bonds?

[Dan]

I've never seen the term electrovalent before. Is it the same as covalent?

Covalent bonds involve shared electrons forming bonds (ie valence electrons in bonding orbitals).

Electrostatic bonds (eg. ionic bonds) are just a result coulombic interactions. ie + sticks to - , but there is no sharing (or bonding orbitals)

[Dan]

I googled the definition of electrovalent,

electrovalent = bonding by electrostatic attraction

To me, that says there is no difference.

[wereworm73]

This is from a Random House College Dictionary: 

electrovalence - n. Chem, 1. the valence of an ion, equal to the number of positive or negative charges acquired by an atom through a loss or gain of electrons. 2.  Also called electrovalent bond, ionic bond.  the bond formed between two ions through the transfer of electrons.


So, I'd say electrovalent, electrostatic & ionic bonds are all the same thing.

[Yggdrasil]

Would dipole-dipole interactions count as electrostatic bonds, since they technically are a type of electrostatic interaction?

[Dan]

Would dipole-dipole interactions count as electrostatic bonds, since they technically are a type of electrostatic interaction?

I would have thought so, Hydrogen bonds too.

[Yggdrasil]

So in that case, I would say that electrostatic bonds would be a more broad term encompassing all interactions between molecules with regions of positive and negative charge.  Electrovalent/ionic bonds would be a specific type of electrostatic bond which involves molecules with opposite formal charges.

[P-man]

Are you saying Hydrogen bonds are electrostatic? Then I am confused... or I forget.