Atoms form chemical bonds with other atoms when there’s an electrostatic attraction between them. This attraction results from the properties and characteristics of the atoms’ outermost electrons, which are known as valence electrons.

Atoms form chemical bonds to make their outer electron shells more stable. An ionic bond, where one atom essentially donates an electron to another, forms when one atom becomes stable by losing its outer electrons and the other atoms become stable (usually by filling its valence shell) by gaining the electrons.

A chemical bond is a lasting attraction between atoms, ions or molecules that enables the formation of chemical compounds. The bond may result from the electrostatic force of attraction between oppositely charged ions as in ionic bonds or through the sharing of electrons as in covalent bonds.

When naming binary ionic compounds, name the cation first (specifying the charge, if necessary), then the nonmetal anion (element stem + -ide). Do NOT use prefixes to indicate how many of each element is present; this information is implied in the name of the compound.

Ionic bonds form between two or more atoms by the transfer of one or more electrons between atoms. Electron transfer produces negative ions called anions and positive ions called cations. These ions attract each other. Let’s examine the ionic bond in sodium chloride.

Ionic Bonds Oppositely charged particles attract each other. This attractive force is often referred to as an electrostatic force. An ionic bond is the electrostatic force that holds ions together in an ionic compound. A cation with a 2+ charge will make a stronger ionic bond than a cation with a 1+ charge.

In ionic bonds one atom is positively charged (the atom that gives its electrons), and the other atom is negatively charged (the atom that receives the electrons); therefore, it is the opposite charge of the ions that attracts them to one another and holds them together.

Covalent bonding A covalent bond happens when the positive nuclei from two different atoms are held together by their common attraction for the shared pair of electrons held between them. Covalent bonds are strong bonds. Atoms that share pairs of electrons form molecules.