All Flashcards
What are the differences between ionic and covalent bonds?
Ionic: Transfer of electrons, strong bonds, soluble in water, conduct electricity when dissolved/molten. Covalent: Sharing of electrons, lower melting points, weak conductivity.
What are the differences between polar and nonpolar covalent bonds?
Polar: Unequal sharing of electrons due to electronegativity differences, partial charges. Nonpolar: Equal sharing of electrons due to similar electronegativities, neutral charge.
Compare metals and nonmetals.
Metals: Good conductors of heat/electricity, shiny, malleable, ductile. Nonmetals: Poor conductors, brittle.
What are valence electrons?
Outermost electrons of an atom, residing in s and p orbitals of the outermost shell; key players in chemical bonding.
What are ions?
Charged atoms or molecules that have gained or lost electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration.
What is electronegativity?
A measure of how strongly an atom attracts electrons in a chemical bond.
What is a cation?
A positively charged ion formed when an atom loses electrons, typically a metal.
What is an anion?
A negatively charged ion formed when an atom gains electrons, typically a nonmetal.
What is an ionic bond?
A chemical bond involving the transfer of electrons, usually from a metal to a nonmetal, resulting in the formation of ions.
What is the effect of high electronegativity difference between two atoms?
Formation of an ionic bond, with one atom becoming a cation and the other an anion.
What is the effect of similar electronegativity between two atoms?
Formation of a nonpolar covalent bond, with electrons shared equally.
What happens when an atom loses electrons?
It becomes a cation with a positive charge.
What happens when an atom gains electrons?
It becomes an anion with a negative charge.
What is the effect of an atom achieving a full octet of valence electrons?
The atom becomes more stable.