Covalent Bond

A covalent bond is defined 'as the force of attraction arising due to mutual sharing of electrons between the two atoms'. The combining atoms may share one, two or three pairs of electrons. The covalent bond is formed between two similar or dissimilar atoms by a mutual sharing of electrons, which are counted towards the stability of both the participating atoms.

When the two atoms combine by mutual sharing of electrons, then each of the atoms acquires stable configuration of the nearest noble gas. The compounds formed due to covalent bonding are called covalent compounds.The shared pair of electrons are called Bond Pairs.

Covalency

The number of electrons, which an atom contributes towards mutual sharing during the formation of a chemical bond is called its covalency in that compound. Thus, the covalency of hydrogen in H₂ (H - H, H : H)

Sometimes one or more pairs of electrons in the valence shell of the atom do not take part in bonding, and are known as a lone pairs; they are also called non-bonding pair of electrons.

Example:

A covalent bond has the following characteristics:

Directional character

Covalent bonds form due to mutual sharing of one or more pairs of electrons between two atoms.

In a covalent bond, the shared pair of electrons remains localised in a definite space between the nuclei of the two atoms. This gives a directional character to the covalent bond.