Electronegativity & Polarity

Word Wall

Covalent Electronegativity Polar Non- Polar

Bond Covalent Bond Covalent Bond
Diatomic Solubility Van Der Waal Dipole- Dipole
Molecules Forces Force
Covalent Network Solids

How do atoms gain stability?

The stability of an ion, atom, or compound is related to energy; lower energy states
are more stable.
In ionic compounds, we already know that metals and non-metals gain stability by
transferring electrons to form ions.
Metals lose electrons and form cations with a positive charge, and non-metals gain
electrons and form anions with a negative charge, this results in a stable noble gas
electron configuration.
Another way atom can gain stability is by sharing valence electrons with other
atoms, which also results in noble-gas electron configurations.

Figure 1: Ionic Bond Versus Covalent Bond

 Covalent Bond

In non- ionic compounds atoms bond by sharing electrons.

Covalent bonds are commonly found between non-metal atoms.
A molecule is formed when two or more atoms bond covalently.
The shared electrons between the two atoms in a covalent bond are part of the
outer energy levels of both atoms involved.
Diatomic molecules, form when two atoms of each element share electrons (H2,
N2, F2, O2, I2, Cl2, Br2). They exist this way because the two-atom molecules are
more stable than the individual atoms.
Consider fluorine, which has an electron configuration of 1 s 2 2 s 2 2 p 5.
Each fluorine atom has seven valence electrons and needs another electron to form
an octet.

Covalent Bond Formation

Electrostatic Forces Involved:

(1) Attractions between electrons and nuclei.
(2) Repulsions between electrons.
(3) Repulsions between nuclei.
Two repulsive forces act on the atoms, one from each atom’s like- charged
electrons and from each atom’s like- charged protons.
A force of attraction also acts, as one atom’s protons attract the other atom’s
electrons.

Figure 2: Electrostatic Forces

Types of Covalent Bonds

Non-Polar Covalent Bond Polar Covalent Bond

A covalent bond in which electrons are A covalent bond in which electrons are
shared equally between the bonded not shared equally between the bonded
atoms. atoms.
Example: Example:
Cl2, F2, N2, and H2 H2O
 Electric Field: not attracted by an Electric Field: align by an electric
electric field. field.
Electronegativity Difference: Electronegativity Difference:
EN= zero EN= 0.4 to 1.7

Figure 3 : Electronegativity Difference and Bond Character

Figure 4: Electronegativity Values for Selected Elements

Example

Figure 5 : Polar Covalent Bond in a Hydrogen Chloride Molecule

Figure 6: Non-Polar Covalent Bond, Polar Covalent Bond, and an Ionic Bond

Water (H2O) versus Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)

The molecular shape for H2O is bent while for CCl4 and tetrahedral, respectively.
O – H bonds are asymmetric in water, so has a definite positive end and definite
negative end. Thus, polar.

Figure 7: Bent water molecule with a definite partial positive end and definite partial
negative end.

The C – Cl bonds are symmetrical in CCl4. The electric charge measured at any
distance from the center is identical on all sides and partial charges are balanced.
Thus nonpolar.
Figure 8: Tetrahedral carbon tetrachloride molecule with no net dipole moment.

Figure 9: Geometry of water molecule versus carbon tetra chloride molecule.

If bonds are polar, asymmetrical molecules are polar and symmetrical molecules
are nonpolar.

Solubility of Compounds

Solubility is the property of a substance’s ability to dissolve in another substance.

Polar molecules and ionic substances are usually soluble in polar substances.
Non-polar molecules dissolve only in non-polar substances.

Figure 10: Solubility of compounds.

Properties of Covalent Compounds

Covalent bonds between atoms are strong, but attraction forces between molecules
are weak. This weak attraction forces are known as Van der Waals forces.
The force between two oppositely charged ends of two polar molecules is a dipole-
dipole force.
These weak forces result in the relatively low melting and boiling points of
molecular substances.
Many covalent molecules are relatively soft solids.
Molecules can align in a crystal lattice, like ionic solids but with less attraction
between particles.
Solids composed of only atoms interconnected by a network of covalent bonds are
called covalent network solids.
Quartz and diamonds are two common examples of network solids.
Figure 11: Covalent Solid Network Structures