The Sharing Game
Non-metals share electrons to bond
What this lesson covers
Why it matters
Imagine two people trying to hold a heavy box, but neither is strong enough alone. They grab opposite sides together, sharing the load to keep it steady.
Predict first
Why do two non-metal atoms share electrons instead of transferring them?
Non-metals have high electronegativity and similar tendencies to gain electrons. Sharing allows both to fill their outer shells without becoming charged ions.
- To create ions that attract each other
- To achieve a stable electron configuration (octet or duplet) by sharing — correct
- Because they repel each other and need a buffer
- To increase their atomic mass
What you do
Two chlorine atoms each have 7 outer electrons and need 1 more. Share a single pair between them so both reach a full octet — that shared pair is the covalent bond.
Check yourself
In a covalent bond, the shared electron pair belongs to:
Covalent bonding is defined by the sharing of electron pairs between atoms, meaning both nuclei attract the same pair of electrons.
Which pair of elements is most likely to form a covalent bond?
Covalent bonds typically form between non-metal atoms that have similar electronegativities, allowing them to share electrons rather than transfer them.
- Only the atom that donated the electron
- Both atoms involved in the bond — correct
- The nucleus of the heavier atom
- Sodium (metal) and Chlorine (non-metal)
- Carbon (non-metal) and Oxygen (non-metal) — correct
- Magnesium (metal) and Oxygen (non-metal)
- Potassium (metal) and Bromine (non-metal)