MEPX
Chapter 3 of 10All chapters
  1. 1Atoms
  2. 2The periodic table
  3. 3Bonding
  4. 4Reactions
  5. 5Acids and bases
  6. 6States of matter
  7. 7Mixtures and separation
  8. 8Organic chemistry
  9. 9Chemistry around you
  10. 10Working safely

Chapter 3 of 10

Bonding

Why atoms stick together.

Three kinds

Ionic bonding transfers electrons, giving charged ions that attract. Covalent bonding shares a pair. Metallic bonding pools electrons across many atoms, which is why metals conduct.

  • Salt is ionic and dissolves into ions in water; sugar is covalent and dissolves as molecules.
  • The full outer shell is what every arrangement is aiming at.

Weaker forces

Hydrogen bonds and other intermolecular attractions are far weaker than real bonds and explain why water boils high, why ice floats and how DNA holds together.