Pure covalent bond

Definition

A pure covalent bond is a type of chemical bond where two atoms share a pair of electrons equally. This occurs when the atoms involved have identical or very similar electronegativities.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Pure covalent bonds typically occur between two nonmetal atoms with the same or very similar electronegativity values.
2. In a pure covalent bond, the electron density is evenly distributed between the bonded atoms.
3. Molecules with pure covalent bonds are often diatomic, such as $H_2$, $O_2$, and $N_2$.
4. Pure covalent bonds are also referred to as nonpolar covalent bonds because there is no charge separation across the bond.
5. The strength of a pure covalent bond depends on the distance between the nuclei of the bonded atoms and their mutual attraction for shared electrons.

Review Questions

Related terms

Electronegativity:

A measure of an atom's ability to attract and hold onto electrons within a chemical bond.

Polar Covalent Bond:

A type of chemical bond where two atoms share electrons unequally, leading to partial positive and negative charges.

Diatomic Molecule: $A molecule composed of only two atoms, which may be either the same element (homonuclear) or different elements (heteronuclear).