State the type of covalent bonding in the following molecules:
(i) Chlorine
(ii) Nitrogen
(iii) Oxygen
Answers
I) Chlorine molecule shows single covalent bond.
Cl-----Cl
The chlorine atom has 7 electrons in it's valence shell and needs only one electron to complete it's octet i.e , 8 valence electrons.
A chlorine atom will share one electron with another chlorine atom to form chlorine molecule . This molecule has a single covalent bond due to sharing of 1 electron.
II) Nitrogen molecule has three covalent bonds.
The nitrogen atom has 5 electrons in it's valence shell and needs three electrons to complete it's octet .
The nitrogen atom will share 3 electrons with another nitrogen atom to form a nitrogen molecule with three covalent bonds (triple bond ).
III) Oxygen molecule has two covalent bonds .
O===O
Oxygen atom has 6 electrons in it's valence shell and requires 2 electrons to fulfill it's octet .
The oxygen atom will share two electrons with another oxygen atom to form a Oxygen molecule , which has two covalent bonds (double bond ).
Covalent bonds
Explanation:
Covalent bonding in Chlorine: Single
Two chlorine atoms are attracted to the same pair of electrons. Each chlorine atom has seven valence electrons in the third energy level and requires one more electron to form an electron core with an argon electron configuration.
Covalent bonding in Nitrogen: Triple
Nitrogen has five valence electrons, so it needs three more valence electrons to complete its octet. A nitrogen atom can fill its octet by sharing three electrons with another nitrogen atom, forming three covalent bonds, a so-called triple bond.
Covalent bonding in Oxygen: Double
Oxygen forms two covalent bonds to make an oxygen molecule (O2). Oxygen has 2 missing electrons in the valence shell.