Chemical Bonding Cheat Sheet

Key Definitions

• Chemical Bond: An attraction between atoms that allows the formation of chemical substances. ✅

• Ionic Bond: A bond formed through the transfer of electrons from one atom to another. ✅

• Covalent Bond: A bond formed by the sharing of electrons between atoms. ✅

• Polar Covalent Bond: A covalent bond where electrons are shared unequally. ✅

Important Concepts

Types of Bonds

• Ionic Bonds: Formed between metals and non-metals; large electronegativity difference. ✅

• Covalent Bonds: Formed between non-metals; involve electron sharing. ✅

• Metallic Bonds: Bonds between metal atoms involving a 'sea of electrons'. ✅

Bond Properties

• Bond Length: Distance between nuclei of bonded atoms; shorter bonds are stronger. ✅

• Bond Energy: Energy required to break a bond; higher energy indicates stronger bond. ✅

Key Formulas

• Electronegativity Difference: ΔEN = |EN_A - EN_B|

• Bond Order: Bond Order = (Number of bonding electrons - Number of antibonding electrons) / 2 ✅

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Common Mistake: Confusing ionic and covalent bonds based on electronegativity alone.

Memory Tricks

Tip: "Ionic = Transfer, Covalent = Share" — remember the difference in electron interaction.

Key Diagrams

Ionic Bond Example:
Na+ + Cl- → NaCl
Covalent Bond Example:
H:O:H (Water)