Unit 2: MODULE 2 Chemical Bonding

Get your periodic table. What do you notice about the electronic configuration of the noble gases?
You’re right! Except for helium, all of them have eight electrons at the outermost energy level. The sharing or
the complete transfer of electrons causes an atom to have the same electronic configuration as that of the
nearest noble or inert gas. The sharing or the complete transfer indicates that the atom has attained stability.
Either the sharing or the complete transfer of electrons leads to the formation of compounds.

Going through this module will make you understand what is happening in the atoms during the
formation of compounds. Look at the periodic table. Did you notice the vertical arrangement of the elements?
This is called family or group. Notice the number in each group? Do you know what information it gives you?
It tells about the number of valence electrons. Do you still remember the meaning of valence electrons?
Valence electrons give you the number of electrons at the outermost energy level of the atom. This is the
information you need to know in order for you to determine whether atoms transfer, accept, or share electrons
to become stable. Why do we need to talk about the transfer or the sharing of electrons? You will discover the
answer to this question as you study this module.

Further, you will find out the answer to the following questions:

How are ionic and covalent compounds formed?

Why is an ionic compound different from a covalent compound?
How is a metallic bond formed?

The following objectives will help you focus as you go about studying this module.

Learning Competencies/Objectives
➢ Explain the formation of ionic and covalent bonds.
➢ Recognize different types of compounds (ionic or covalent) based on their properties such as melting point,
hardness, polarity and electrical and thermal conductivity.
➢ Explain properties of metals in terms of their structure.
➢ Explain how ions are formed.

There are concepts you need to know in order to fully understand why atoms form compounds. Let us start
with the basic information, the number of valence electrons, octet rule, and electronegativity.

Do Activity 1 in the attachments

The valence electrons are the electrons directly involved in forming bonds to form compounds. It is
important that you know the number of valence electrons so that can illustrate how bonds are formed. It is
good that you have found out that metals have low electronegativity and non-metals have high
electronegativity because this property plays an important role in forming compounds. Do you know what
electronegativity means? Electronegativity is a measure of the tendency of an atom to attract electrons, the
higher its value, the higher its tendency to attract electrons. How about ionization energy? Did you know that
ionization energy is the energy needed to pull or remove one or more electron/s from a neutral atom? The
lower the ionization energy the easier it is to remove its valence electrons.

You can also show the number of valence electrons through the Lewis Symbol. This symbol is
composed of the chemical symbol of the element and dots that represent the number of valence electrons.

The next activity will make you familiar with the Lewis Symbol.

(Do Activity 2 in the attachments)

Ionization Energy of the Main-Group Elements in kJ/mol

You have just learned the relationship among the number of valence electrons, electronegativity, and
ionization energy. You also realized that it is easy to write the Lewis Symbol of the representative element. The
information that you found out from the previous activity will clarify chemical bonding.

Do you know why atoms form compounds? Have you heard about the Octet Rule? Atoms always strive
to attain the most stable arrangement of electrons. Atoms are stable if their electrons have the same kind of
arrangement as that of noble gases, where the s and p orbitals are filled with electrons except for helium,
where only the s orbitals are filled up. All the noble gases except for helium have 8 valence electrons. The Octet
Rule tells you that elements gain or lose or share electrons to achieve the electronic configuration of the
nearest noble gas. Thus, after chemical bonding, elements become isoelectronic with the nearest noble gas in
the periodic table.

Metals have low electronegativity and ionization energy; thus, they tend to transfer or loose electrons.
Non-metals have high electronegativity and ionization energy. They have a greater tendency to attract
electrons towards themselves. Thus, non-metals tend to gain electrons.

You will gain information about chemical bonding that involves gaining and losing electrons as you do
the next activity.

(Do Activity 3 in the attachments)

Try aluminum and chlorine. Will they form an ionic bond?

EN = 1.5 EN = 3.0

Based on the difference in the EN values of Al and Cl, the difference is only 1.5, these two elements
cannot form an ionic bond. In this case, there is not enough energy to facilitate the complete transfer of
electrons. Instead, another bond is formed, the covalent bond, in which sharing of electrons takes place. This
sharing helps the Al and Cl atoms attain stability.

There are two types of covalent bond: the polar covalent bond and the nonpolar covalent bond. If
the electronegativity difference is equal to 0.4 or less, it results to a nonpolar covalent bond. If the
electronegativity difference is less than 1.9 and more than 0.4, polar covalent bond is formed.

Try to do the next activity to find out if covalent bonding takes place. Take note of the Octet Rule in
considering the number of bonds that will be formed between atoms. These steps will help you figure out if
sharing of electrons will take place.
 a. Get the total available valence electrons in a compound.
For CO2
carbon atom has 4 valence electrons
oxygen atom has 6 valence electrons
Total Available Valence Electrons (TAVE) = (1 C atom x 4) + (2 O atoms x 6)
= 4 + 12
= 16
b. Compute for the Octet Rule requirement that each atom should have 8 valence electrons to become
stable.

Number of Electrons based on Octet Rule = (1 C atom x 8) + (2 O atoms x 8)

= 8 + 16
= 24
c. Subtract a from b, then divide the difference by 2 because a pair of shared electrons is equal to 1 bond.
The quotient will give you the number of bonds around the central atom.
(24 − 16)
𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠 =
2
=4
Thus, there will be 4 bonds surrounding a carbon atom as shown in the Lewis structure:

or

Can you do the same for the next activity? Let’s see!

(Do Activity 4 in the attachments)

What have you learned about covalent bonds? Is it now clear to you that covalent bonds result from
the sharing of electrons? Unlike ionic bonds, there is no complete transfer of electrons in covalent bonds, just
sharing of electrons.

In covalent bonding, a pair of shared electrons is equal to one (1) bond. Notice that after the sharing
of electrons, each of the atoms in the compound attains a stable configuration and a covalent compound is
formed. Such compound could exist as independent units called molecules. As a whole, the molecule does not
carry a charge.

Recall that an ionic bond is formed when a metal bonds with a non-metal while a covalent bond exists
between or among non-metals. However, there are cases when polar covalent bond involves a metal and a
non-metal, like in the case of aluminium chloride (AlCl3).
Activity 1: Mapping the Periodic Table

Objectives:
➢ Identify the number of valence electrons of atoms.
➢ Compare the electronegativity and ionization energy values of metals and nonmetals.
Materials:
Periodic Table
Crayons
Procedure:
1. Locate the metals, non-metals, and noble gases in figure 1. Color the area with metallic elements blue;
the non-metallic elements yellow; and the noble gases green.
Q1. Where can you find metals, non-metals, and noble gases in the periodic table of elements?
________________________________________________________________________________________
Q2. Which number will give you an idea on the number of valence electrons?
________________________________________________________________________________________
Q3. What do you notice in the number of valence electrons of metals, nonmetals, and noble gases?
________________________________________________________________________________________

Figure 1. Periodic Table of the Representative Family/Group

Observe the number that corresponds to the valence electrons, electronegativity and ionization
energy of metals and non-metals using a periodic table.

Q4. What kind of element has:

a. less than 4 valence electrons? ___________________________________________
b. more than 4 valence electrons? ___________________________________________
c. low electronegativity? ___________________________________________
d. high electronegativity? ___________________________________________
e. low ionization energy? ___________________________________________
f. high ionization energy? ___________________________________________
Activity 2: Lewis Symbol

Objectives:
➢ Write the Lewis Symbol of the common metals and non-metals.
➢ Show the relationship among the number of valence electrons, electronegativity, and ionization
energy.
Materials:
Periodic Table of Elements
Procedure:
Use the given periodic table of elements to determine the number of valence electrons. You may refer
to the group number where it belongs in filling up the table below.

Table 1. Lewis Symbols of Some Elements

Q1. Arrange these elements in increasing:

a. valence electrons ___________________________________________________________________
b. electronegativity values. ______________________________________________________________
c. Ionization energy. ___________________________________________________________________
Q2. What do you notice with the number of valence electrons, electronegativity values and ionization energies
of the elements? ___________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Q3. What kind of element has the greatest tendency to attract electrons? Why?
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Q4. What kind of element requires high energy to remove its valence electrons? Why?
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

Using the periodic table. Does it verify your answers in Q1 and Q2?
Activity 3: Bonding by Transfer of Electrons
Objectives:
➢ Illustrate how an ionic bond is formed.
➢ Show how ions are formed.

Materials:
Periodic Table of Elements

Procedure:
1. Select a metallic and a non-metallic element. Write the Lewis Symbol of the selected elements. Take
note of the electronegativity value of both elements. Subtract the electronegativity value of the
metallic element from the non-metallic element.

EN = 0.90 EN = 3.0
Thus:
2.0 – 0.90 = 2.1
* If the difference is greater than 1.9, complete transfer of electron/s is possible.
2. With the use of an arrow, show the complete transfer of electrons.

3. Indicate the formation of cation and anion.

Na+Cl-
After ionic bonding, sodium (Na) became isoelectronic with neon (Ne) while chlorine became
isoelectronic with argon (Ar), thus both sodium and chlorine attained stability. Isoelectronic means sodium
(Na) attain the same electronic configuration with neon (Ne) and in the case of chlorine it acquired the same
configuration with that of argon (Ar). Thus, both of them become stable.

4. Make 5 combinations that will result to ionic bonding by following steps 1-3.

Q1. What kind of element forms cation after ionic bonding?

________________________________________________________________________________________
Q2. What kind of element forms anion after ionic bonding?
________________________________________________________________________________________
Q3. Why do ions form after ionic bonding?
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Q4. Did the atoms attain stability after ionic bonding? Explain you answer.
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Q5. How can you tell that ionic bonding will take place between metals and nonmetals?
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Q6. Will all combinations of metals and non-metals form ionic bond? Why?
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
 Activity 4: Bonding by Sharing of Electrons

Objectives:
➢ Explain how covalent bonding takes place.
➢ Illustrate the sharing of electrons.
Materials:
Periodic Table of Elements
Procedure:
1. Show how the sharing of electrons form covalent bond in the following compounds:

a. ammonia (NH3) f. methane (CH4)

b. water (H2O) g. hydrogen gas (H2)
c. hydrogen chloride (HCl) h. phosphine (PH3)
d. nitrogen gas (N2) i. sulfur dioxide (SO2)
e. oxygen gas (O2) j. chlorine gas (Cl2)

Supply Table 2 with the data obtained in number 1.

Table 2. Types of Covalent Bonds

Type of Bond
Compound Chemical Formula Lewis Structure (polar covalent/
nonpolar covalent)
Ammonia

Water

Hydrogen chloride

nitrogen gas

oxygen gas

Methane

hydrogen gas

Phosphine

sulfur dioxide

chlorine gas

Q2. What kind of element usually forms covalent bond? Is it possible for metals and non-metals to form
nonpolar covalent bond? Why? How about polar covalent bond? Why?
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Q3. Why is it that diatomic molecules always form nonpolar covalent bonds?
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Q4. Differentiate polar covalent bond from nonpolar covalent bond.
________________________________________________________________________________________
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