Shown in the instruction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Shown in the instruction - Essay Example Atoms link up to form molecules. These atoms might either be of the same element or of different elements. Depending on the characteristics of these atoms, molecular or ionic bonds are formed. The number of electrons present in each atom is what really determines the kind of bonds to be formed. Electronegativity is the tendency that an atom has to attract electrons in a chemical bond. An ionic bond is formed when the elements involved have significantly different electronegativity. This means that the probability of ionic bonds being formed is higher when the difference between the electronegativity of the two elements is greater. It is also important to note that electrons are lost and gained by atoms in order to obtain a stable electron configuration. The atom with lower electronegativity loses an electron to the one with higher electronegativity. The net charge of the atoms then becomes positive or negative due to the loss and gain of an electron respectively. The two atoms thus charged oppositely attract each other and this is an ionic bond formed. Atoms are then interconnected through attraction throughout a substance. Substances whose atoms are bonded in this way are termed as ionic. These substances have common characteristics although they might differ slightly due to factors such as the strength of the bond formed. Covalent bonds are formed when atoms share electrons forming molecules. Sharing of electrons depends on the orbitals among other properties. Quite a number of theories have been formulated to explain how covalent bonds are formed. Electrons are shared to obtain a stable electron configuration. Many molecules of this type then make up molecular substances. Molecular substances generally occur as gases, liquids or solids with low melting points. This is because the intermolecular forces of attractions are relatively weak. The