Ionic and Covalent Bonding – NaCl, MgO, H₂, O₂, H₂O, CH₄, NH₃

Integrated ScienceAtoms, Elements & BondingAges 12–13

Two (or more) atoms are drawn with their electron shells far apart; drag across the screen or press Run to bring them together. For NaCl and MgO, the outer-shell electrons of the metal transfer to the non-metal, forming a positive ion and a negative ion that attract each other (ionic bonding). For H₂, O₂, H₂O, CH₄ and NH₃, the atoms share electrons to form shared electron pairs (covalent bonding). The number of outer-shell electrons after bonding, matching the stable noble-gas configuration, is shown right away.