Chemical Bonding Cheat Sheet

Key Definitions

• Ionic Bond: Electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions. ✅

• Covalent Bond: Sharing of electron pairs between atoms. ✅

• Metallic Bond: Attraction between metal ions and delocalized electrons. ✅

• Electronegativity: Ability of an atom to attract electrons in a bond. ✅

Important Concepts

Types of Bonds

• Ionic Bonds: Formed between metals and non-metals; high melting points.

• Covalent Bonds: Formed between non-metals; can be single, double, or triple.

• Polar vs. Non-polar Covalent: Polar bonds have unequal sharing of electrons; non-polar have equal sharing.

Molecular Geometry

• VSEPR Theory: Shapes of molecules determined by electron pair repulsion.

• Linear, Bent, Trigonal Planar, Tetrahedral, etc.

Key Formulas

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

• Dipole Moment: μ = q * r

• μ: dipole moment

• q: charge

• r: distance between charges ✅

Common Mistakes to Avoid

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

Memory Tricks

Tip: "I Can Make Pretty Little Things" —

• Ionic

• Covalent

• Metallic

• Polar

• Linear

• Tetrahedral

Key Diagrams

 IONIC BOND EXAMPLE
  Na+  Cl-
   |    |
   +----+
   NaCl
 COVALENT BOND EXAMPLE
   H   H
   |   |
   O---O