Chemical Bonding Cheat Sheet

Key Definitions

• Chemical Bond: An attractive force between atoms that allows the formation of chemical compounds. ✅

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

• Covalent Bond: A bond formed when two atoms share one or more pairs of electrons. ✅

• Polar Covalent Bond: A covalent bond with unequal sharing of electrons, resulting in partial charges. ✅

Important Concepts

Types of Bonds

• Ionic Bonds: Formed between metals and non-metals; electrons are transferred.

• Covalent Bonds: Formed between non-metals; electrons are shared.

• Metallic Bonds: Involves a 'sea of electrons' shared among a lattice of metal cations. ✅

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 bonds. ✅

Key Formulas

• Electronegativity Difference:

• Bond Order:

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Common Mistake: Confusing ionic and covalent bonds based solely on element types; remember electron transfer vs. sharing.

Memory Tricks

Tip: "Ionic = Transfer" and "Covalent = Share" — useful to remember bond types.

Key Diagrams

Ionic Bond:
  A+ + B- → AB
Covalent Bond:
  H:  H
   \ /
    H