How can you predict whether calcium will form ionic, metallic, or covalent bonds?
May 12th, 2009 | by bonds |
jenn asked:
What is the difference between the different bonds?
How can you predict what type of bond an element would form?
How can you predict what type of bond two elements would form?
Please explain in detail. Thanks!
How can you do this only using the periodic table and without knowing about the electronegative interaction?
JAMEL
What is the difference between the different bonds?
How can you predict what type of bond an element would form?
How can you predict what type of bond two elements would form?
Please explain in detail. Thanks!
How can you do this only using the periodic table and without knowing about the electronegative interaction?
JAMEL
One Response to “How can you predict whether calcium will form ionic, metallic, or covalent bonds?”
By pharm_docs on May 13, 2009 | Reply
RALEIGH
The differences in bonding have to do principally with the interaction between the two elements participating.
If its is a strong electronegative interaction, it is an ionic bond. This is where atoms are paired with each other based on being positive and negative ions. You can generally assume a bond is ionic if the differences in the ion’s electronegativity is greater than 2.0. This type of bond is found between a metal ion and a non-metal, and is characterized as one atom “donating” an electron to the other, and the resulting electrostatic charge holds the atoms together.
If the bond electronegativity is less than 1.5, you can assume the bond is covalent. A covalent bond “shares” its electrons more freely between each participating atom.
(mind you there’s no real such thing as a “purely” ionic bond, or a purely covalent one, but you’ll learn that eventually….)
In a metallic bond, the electrons disassociate themselves over several atoms that are spread out in a lattice. They jump across the electron shells.