3

UNIT

Chemical Bonding and

Intermolecular Forces
Unit Outcomes
After completing this unit, you will be able to:

( discuss the formation of ionic, covalent, and metallic bonds;

( know the general properties of substances containing ionic, covalent, and
metallic bonds;
( develop the skills of drawing the electron-dot (Lewis structures) for simple
ionic and covalent compounds;
( understand the origin of polarity within molecules;
( appreciate the importance of intermolecular forces in plant and animal life;
( understand the formation and nature of intermolecular forces; and
( demonstrate scientific inquiry skills: observing, predicting, making model,
communicating, asking questions, measuring, applying concepts, comparing
and contrasting, relating cause and effects.

MAIN CONTENTS
3.1 Chemical bonding
3.2 Ionic bonding
3.3 Covalent bonding
3.4 Metallic bonding
3.5 Inter-molecular forces
– Unit Summary
– Review Exercises
 CHEMISTRY GRADE 9

Start-up Activity
Objective of the Activity
Scientists have identified different types of attractive forces between atoms in forming
bonds. The strength of the forces relies on the types of bonds. For instance, in
covalent bonds, the strength of the bonds depends on whether the bonds are
single, double or triple bonds.
In this activity, you will use bundles of sticks to develop your ideas about strength
of bonds.
1. Collect the following materials and bring to school:
– Six sticks of wood of the same length and of the same thickness.
2. Place your sticks on the table in the classroom,
Your teacher will place your sticks in three groups.
– A single stick
– Pairs of sticks
– Sets of three sticks
Your teacher will assign three students and will give for each student a single
stick, a pair of sticks, and a set of three sticks.

Figure 3.1 A bundle of sticks.

Figure 3.2 Students trying to break the sticks.

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Analysis

1. Which of your bundles of sticks was the strongest? What is the reason for the
different strengths of the bundle of sticks?
2. Draw your conclusions and present to the rest of the class.

3.1 CHEMICAL BONDING

Competencies

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• define chemical bonding;
• explain why atoms form chemical bonds.

Activity 3.1

Most of the elements are not found free in nature. Why do the elements exists in
combined form ? Discuss in group and present your findings to the class.

A chemical bond is the attractive force that binds atoms together in a molecule, or a
crystal lattice.
After the periodic table and the concept of electron configuration were developed,
scientists began to develop ideas about molecules and compounds. In 1916,
G.N Lewis concluded that atoms combine in order to achieve a more stable electron
configuration resulting in molecules or compounds.

Historical Note

Gilbert Newton Lewis (1875 - 1946), introduced the theory of the

shared-electron-pair chemical-bond formation in a paper
published in the journal of the American chemical society. In
honor of this contribution, we sometimes refer to “electron-dot”
structures as “Lewis structures”.

G.N. Lewis

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As independent particles, atoms are at relatively high potential energy. Nature, favors
arrangements in which potential energy is minimized. Most individual atoms exist in a
less stable state than in their combined form.
When atoms form bonds with each other, they attain lower potential energy states.
This decrease in atomic energy generally results in a more stable arrangement of matter.
When atoms interact to form a chemical bond, only their outer regions are in contact.
In the process of the interaction, atoms achieve stable outermost shell configuration.
For this reason, when we study chemical bonding, we are concerned primarily with
the valence electrons. As described in Unit 2, valence electrons are electrons that exist
in the outermost shell of an atom.

Activity 3.2
Form a group and discuss the following:
The following table shows elements of group VIIIA and their atomic numbers. In the space
provided fill the valence shell electron configuration and number of valence electrons for
the elements. In your discussion include why helium is placed in group VIIIA even though
it has only 2 valence electrons.

Elements Atomic Valence-Shell Number of Valence

Number Electron Electrons
Configuration
Helium, He 2
Neon, Ne 10
Argon, Ar 18
Krypton, Kr 36
Xenon, Xe 54
Radon, Rn 86
Share your discussion with the rest of the class.

Noble gas atoms with eight electrons (except for, He) in the outermost shell are stable.
Thus, the ns2np6 electronic valence structure has maximum stability. Atoms containing
less than eight electrons in their outermost shell are unstable. To attain stability, these
atoms tend to have eight electrons in their valence shells. This leads to the explanation
of the octet rule. The rule states that atoms tend to gain, lose or share electrons until
there are eight electrons in their valence shell.
The type or characteristic of the resulting arrangement depends largely on the type of
chemical bonding that exists between the atoms. These are ionic, covalent, and metallic
bonds.

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Exercise 3.1
1 Why do atoms combine to form compounds?
2 How is a chemical bond formed to make a compound or molecule?
3 Which electron (s) of an atom take (s) part in bond formation?
4 How does the chemical reactivity of halogens compare with that of the noble-gas
family?

3.2 IONIC BONDING

Competencies
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• explain the term ion;
• illustrate the formation of ions by giving examples;
• define ionic bonding;
• describe the formation of an ionic bond;
• give examples of simple ionic compounds;
• draw Lewis structures or electron-dot formulas of simple ionic compounds;
• explain the general properties of ionic compounds; and
• investigate the properties of given samples of ionic compounds.

Activity 3.3

Form a group and discuss each of the following concepts. Share your ideas with the class.
1. Why do some atoms easily lose electrons and others do not?
2. Sodium chloride, NaCl is a good conductor in the form of liquid state, but a non
conductor in the form of solid state.

When an atom either loses or gains electrons, it becomes an ion. An ion is an electrically
charged particles. Two different types of ions exist. These are the positive ions called
cations and the negative ions called anions.
The chemical properties of metals differ from those of non-metals. A metal has 1, 2,
or 3 electrons in its outermost shell. Metals tend to lose these electrons and become
positively charged ions. For example, if a metal (M) loses one electron, it becomes an
ion with a charge of +1.

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However, if it loses two electrons it becomes an ion with a charge of +2:

A non-metal may have 4, 5, 6, or 7 electrons in its outermost shell. Non-metals tend

to gain electrons to form negatively charged ions. For example, if a non-metal (X)
gains one electron, it becomes an ion with a charge of –1.

Note that hydrogen can form both a cation, H+ (hydrogen ion) as in HCl, or an anion
H– (hydride ion) as in NaH.
Metals in Group IA, the alkali metals, tend to lose one electron when they combine
with other elements, producing cations of +1 charge. For example, Na and K each
lose one electron to form ions of +1 charge.

Na → Na+ + e–
sodium atom sodium ion

K → K+ + e–
potassium atom potassium ion

On the other hand, Group VIIA elements, the halogens, usually gain one electron and
produce an ion with –1 charge. For example, each Cl and Br atom accepts one
electron to produce an ion with –1 charge.

Cl + e– → Cl–
chlorine atom chloride ion

Br + e– → Br–
bromine atom bromide ion

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Activity 3.4
Form a group and perform the following tasks:
Consider the elements:
1. Calcium (atomic number = 20)
2. Barium (atomic number = 56)
3. Oxygen ( atomic number = 8)
4. Sulphur (atomic number = 16)
a determine whether each of the elements gain or lose electrons in chemical bond
formation.
b write the type of ions they form; and
c indicate the charges on the ions formed.
Present your findings to the class.

The following table relates the position of some elements in the periodic table to the ions
they normally produce.Note that the charge is the same for each ion in a given group or
column.
Table 3.1 Selected ions in the periodic table.

Ionic Bond formation

When two atoms combine, one of the atoms gains electrons and becomes an anion
and the other loses electrons to form a cation. When a cation and an anion are brought
close to one another, an electrostatic force of attraction is set up between them. This
force of attraction between oppositely charged ions is called an ionic bond. It is also
called an electrovalent bond. The bond is produced when electrons are transferred
from the outermost shell of a metal atom to the outermost shell of a nonmetal atom.
To illustrate ionic bonding, let us consider the formation of the bond between sodium
and chlorine. A sodium atom has 1 valence electron. In order to attain the electron
configuration of the nearest noble gas (Ne), it has to lose its valence electron and
form a sodium ion (Na+). Chlorine has 7 valence electrons. By gaining 1 electron,
chlorine attains the electron configuration of argon (Ar) and form a chloride ion (Cl–).
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In general, an ionic bond is formed by the transfer of electron from a metal to a

nonmetal- for example, sodium and chlorine. Atoms that are bound together by an
ionic bond form ionic compounds. For example, Na+ and Cl– ions form sodium
chloride, NaCl. The transfer of an electron from sodium to chlorine and the formation
of the ionic bond in sodium chloride is shown with the following shell diagrams.

Figure 3.3 Formation of sodium chloride.

Electron-dot notation is often used to represent the outermost shell electron

configurations of the elements. These formulas, also called Lewis formulas, consist of
the symbol of the element plus dots equal to the number of valence electrons in the
atom or ion. Since valence shells contain a maximum of eight electrons, electron-dot
symbols contain a maximum of eight dots. Electron-dot formulas of sodium and chlorine

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are shown below. Sodium is an alkali metal with one valence electron:
Na: 1s22s22p63s1
The Lewis symbol for sodium is Na•.
Chlorine is a halogen with seven valence electrons:
Cl: 1s22s22p63s23p5

The Lewis symbol for chlorine is Cl .

The formation of ionic bond can also be represented by using electron-dot formulas.
Therefore, the Lewis structure for the ionic compound sodium chloride will be
+ –
Na + Cl Na Cl

Activity 3.5
Form a group and perform each of the following task:
Draw Bohr's diagrammatic representation and write the Lewis formula for the following
ionic compounds:
a Potassium chloride b Magnesium oxide c Calcium chloride
d Potassium sulphide e Aluminium oxide
Share your ideas with rest of the class.

The following table illustrates the formation of ionic bonds between representative metals
and non-metals. Careful observation indicates that, in each case, both the metal and
the nonmetal acquire a noble-gas configuration. The compounds formed in each case
are electrically neutral as the sum of positive charges equals the sum of negative charges.
Table 3.2 Summary of formula of ionic-compounds.
Metal group Non-metal group Formula of Ionic Examples
Compound
IA VIIA MX (M+X–) NaCl, KBr
IA VIA M2X (2M+X2–) Li2O, K2O
IA VA M3X (3M+X3–), Na3N, K3P
IIA VIIA MX2 (M2+2X–), MgCl2, CaI2
IIA VIA MX (M2+ X2–), BaS, MgO, MgS
IIA VA M3X2 (3M2+ 2X3–) Ca3N2, Mg3P2
IIIA VIIA MX3 (M3+ 3X–), AlF3
IIIA VIA M2X3 (2M3+3X2–) Al2O3
IIIA VA MX (M3+ X3–) AlN
Note: M = metal; X = non-metal.

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Exercise 3.2
1. Draw the Lewis structure for the nitrogen atom, nitrogen molecule and ammonia.
2. Show that the following species have the same number of electrons.
Na+, Mg2+, O2–, and Ne

How do you name ionic compounds, for example NaCl?

To name an ionic compound that is formed from a metal and a non-metal, follow the
given procedure, by considering the example of NaCl:
1. Write the name of the metal (sodium).
2. Modify the last characters of the name of the non-metal (chlorine) to end it with
ide. (Chloride).
Therefore, the name of NaCl is sodium chloride. Similarly, MgO is named as magnesium
oxide, Na3N is named as sodium nitride.
General Properties of Ionic Compounds

Activity 3.6
Form a group and perform the following task: Collect samples of ionic compounds from
your school laboratory and investigate whether the samples are:
a hard or soft b brittle or strong c liquids or solids
What is your generalization about the physical properties of ionic compounds? Share your
ideas with the rest of the class.

Experiment 3.1

Investigating the Physical Properties of Ionic Compounds

I Melting Point and Solubility
Objective: To investigate the melting point and solubility of some ionic compounds.
Apparatus: Test -tube, Bunsen burner.
Chemicals: NaCl, CuCl2, ethanol, hexane and benzene.
Procedure:
Perform the following three experiments:
1. Put a few crystals of dry sodium chloride (NaCl) and copper (II) chloride
(CuCl2) into separate glass test tubes. Heat strongly on a Bunsen burner. What
do you observe?

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2. Place about 1 g each of sodium chloride (NaCl) and copper (II) chloride
(CuCl2) in separate test tubes. Add about 5 mL of water (polar solvent) and
shake well.
3. Repeat experiment 2 using the following solvents instead of water. Ethanol
(polar solvent), hexane and benzene (non-polar solvents). These solvents are
highly flammable and should be kept away from flames.

Observations and analysis

a In experiment 1, do the crystals melt? Do they have high or low melting
points?
b In experiment 2 and 3, does each of the solids dissolve in the given solvents?
Why? Do they have low or high solubility in the given solvents?

Prepare a table as shown below and fill in the results of the solubility tests.
Substances Water Ethanol Hexane Benzene
NaCl (s)
CuCl2 (s)

II Conductivity

Objective: To investigate the conductivity of some ionic compounds.

Apparatus: Beaker, conductivity cell, graphite or iron rods, bulb, wire, battery.
Chemicals: Sodium chloride, copper (II) chloride, benzene and charcoal.
Procedure:
1. Put some amount of sodium chloride crystals in a beaker.
2. Place two electrodes that are made of iron or graphite in the beaker.
3. Connect the two electrodes to a bulb and a 6-volt battery as shown in
Figure 3.5.
Record your observation.
4. Now add distilled water to the beaker and stir dissolve the salt. Observe the
changes.
5. Repeat the experiment using aqueous copper (II) chloride, benzene and
charcoal.

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Graphite
electrodes

Bulb

Dry cells

NaCl solution

Figure 3.5 Conductivity of sodium chloride solution.

Observations and analysis

a Does sodium chloride conduct electricity in its solid state?
b What do you observe in the bulb when the sodium chloride is dissolved?
What does this indicate?
c What can you conclude from this experiment?
d What are your observations for aqueous copper (II) chloride, benzene and
charcoal?
Conclusion:
What are your conclusions about:
a melting point,
b solubility in polar and non-polar solvents, and
c electrical conductivity of ionic compounds?

A summary of the general properties of ionic compounds:

1. Ionic compounds do not contain molecules. They are aggregates of positive ions
and negative ions. In the solid state, each ion is surrounded by ions of the opposite
charge, producing an orderly array of ions called crystal.

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Figure 3.4 Arrangement of ions.

2. At room temperature ionic compounds are hard and rigid crystalline solids. This is due
to the existence of strong electrostatic forces of attraction between the ions.
3. Ionic compounds have relatively high melting and boiling points. This is due to
the presence of strong electrostatic forces between the ions. These forces can
be overcome only by applying very large amounts of energy.
4. Ionic compounds can conduct electric currents when molten or in aqueous
solution. This is due to the presence of mobile ions in molten state or in solution.
However, ionic compounds do not conduct electricity in the solid state.
5. Ionic compounds are soluble in polar solvents such as water. They are insoluble
in non-polar solvents such as benzene.

Exercise 3.3
1. KCl is soluble in water but insoluble in benzene. Explain.
2. Which of the following substances conduct electricity? Give reasons for your
answer in each case:
a NaCl (aq) b NaCl (l) c NaCl (s)
3. Name the ionic compounds formed from the following pairs of elements:
a calcium and sulphur b sodium and iodine c silver and bromine
4. List the properties of ionic compounds.

3.3 COVALENT BONDING

Competencies
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• define covalent bonding,
• describe formation of a covalent bond,

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• draw Lewis structures or electron-dot formulas of simple covalent molecules,

• give examples of different types of covalent molecules,
• make models of covalent molecules to show single, double and triple bonds
using sticks and balls or locally available materials,
• explain polarity in covalent molecules,
• distinguish between polar and non-polar covalent molecules,
• define coordinate (dative) covalent bond,
• illustrate the formation of coordinate covalent bond using appropriate examples,
• explain the general properties of covalent compounds, and
• investigate the properties of given samples of covalent compounds.

Activity 3.7
Form a group and discuss each of the following concepts.
1. What is the difference between the bond when two chlorine atoms combine to form a
chlorine molecule (Cl2) and that formed when sodium combines with chlorine to form
sodium chloride (NaCl)?
2. Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a covalent compound. Would you expect it to be :
i) a conductor of electricity
ii) soluble in water.
Share your ideas with the class.

Many molecules are formed when outermost shell or valence electrons are shared
between two atoms. This sharing of electrons creates a covalent bond.
Covalent bond formation can be illustrated by the sharing of electrons between two
hydrogen atoms to form a molecule of hydrogen.

Figure 3.6 Sharing of electrons between hydrogen atoms in H2 molecule.

In the hydrogen molecule, each hydrogen atom attains the stable electron configuration
of helium.
In a covalent bond, each electron in a shared pair is attracted to the nuclei of both
atoms as shown in Figure 3.6. The shared electrons spend most of their time between
the two nuclei. The electrostatic attraction between the two positively charged nuclei
and the two negatively charged electrons hold the atoms in the molecule together. This
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attractive force between positively charged nuclei of atoms and the shared electrons in
a molecule is known as covalent bond.
A molecule of hydrogen chloride is also formed by a pair of electrons shared between
the two atoms. Each atom in the molecule attains a stable electron configuration.

Figure 3.7 Hydrogen and chlorine share a pair of electrons in HCl.

The concept of Lewis formula representation can also be extended to covalent bonds.
The Lewis structure for a covalent compound shows the arrangement of atoms in a
molecule and all the valence electrons for the atoms involved in the compound. It is
conventional to represent the non-bonding (lone pair) electrons by dots and the pair
of electrons that are shared between atoms by a dash. For example, consider the
hydrogen molecule:
The electron-dot formula of the hydrogen molecule is:
H• + •H → H H
The covalent bond in hydrogen molecule is also written as H – H.
The formation of the covalent bond in hydrogen chloride is shown by the following
electron-dot formula. This formula must satisfy the octet rule (for chlorine) and the
doublet rule (for hydrogen). As shown in the illustration, these requirements are satisfied.
The shared pair belongs to both of the atoms (hydrogen and chlorine) in the hydrogen
chloride molecule. The resulting valence electron configuration provides two valence
electrons to hydrogen and eight to chlorine.

The chlorine atom in the molecule has three pairs of electrons, which are not used for
bonding. Pairs of electrons that is not used for bonding are called lone-pair electrons.
Pairs that are used for bonding are called bonding-pair electrons.

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Consider the fluorine molecule, F2. The electron configuration of fluorine is 2, 7. Thus
each fluorine atom has seven valence electrons. Accordingly, there is only one unpaired
electron on fluorine. Therefore, the formation of the fluorine molecule is represented as

Note that only two valence electrons participate in the formation of fluorine molecule.
The others are non-bonding electron (lone pairs). Thus each fluorine atom in fluorine
molecule has three lone-pairs of electrons. The resulting molecule is a diatomic molecule.
A diatomic molecule consists of two atoms. All the other members of the halogen
family form diatomic molecules in the same way as fluorine does.
The maximum number of covalent bonds that an atom can form can be predicted
from the number of electrons needed to fill its valence shell. For example, each member
of Group IVA elements has four electrons in its valence shell, and it needs four more
electrons to achieve stable noble-gas electron configuration. Thus, it forms four covalent
bonds for carbon in methane, CH4 as shown below:
H H
H C H or C
H
H H H
Elements of Group VA need three additional electrons to achieve noble gas configuration
and they form three covalent bonds as shown below for nitrogen in ammonia NH3.

H N H or N
H H
H H
Similarly, elements of group VIA form two covalent bonds and Group VIIA elements
form single covalent bonds.

Types of Covalent Bonds

How do you compare the nature and strength of the bonds in H2 , O2 and N2?

Atoms can form different types of covalent bonds. These are single bonds, double
bonds and triple bonds.
In a single bond two atoms are held together by one electron pair.

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How are the covalent bonds in H2, Cl2 and HCl formed?
Many covalent compounds are held together by multiple bonds. Multiple bonds are
formed when two or three electron pairs are shared by two atoms. If two atoms
share two pairs of electrons, the covalent bond is called a double bond. For example,
double bonds are found in molecules of carbon dioxide (CO2) and ethene (C2H4).

C or C
Carbon dioxide

H H H H
C C or C C
H H H H
Ethene

A triple bond is formed when two atoms share three pairs of electrons, as in the
nitrogen molecule (N2).

The ethyne (acetylene) molecule (C2H2) also contains a triple bond. In this case the
bond is between two carbon atoms.
H C C H or H C C H
Ethyne

Activity 3.8

Form a group and perform the following tasks:

1. Construct a molecular model for each of the following species using locally available
materials such as toothpicks to represent bonds, and styrofoam spheres to represent
atoms.
a N2 b H2 c O2 d C2H4
2. Based on your models, identify which species contain:
i) only single bonds
ii) double bonds
iii) triple bonds

Present your models and findings to the rest of the class.

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Exercise 3.4
1. How many bonding pair and lone pair electrons are found in each of the
following molecules?
a CO2 b C2H4 c N2 d C2H2
2. Consider molecules of carbon disulfide, CS2, and hydrogen cyanide, HCN.
a What types of bonds do they contain?
b Draw their electron-dot formulas.
c Are there any lone-pair electrons in these molecules?
3. Why is the melting point of ionic compounds higher than that of covalent
compounds?

Reading Check
Does the hydrogen atom form covalent as well as ionic bonds? How?

3.3.1 Polarity in Covalent Molecules

Activity 3.9

Form a group and discuss the following idea:

The covalent bonds are formed by sharing of electrons. Compare covalent bonds formed
between atoms of the same elements and those formed between atoms of different
elements. (Example: H2 and HCl).
Present your conclusion to the class.

A covalent bond is formed when electron pairs are shared between two atoms. In
molecules like H2, in which the atoms are identical, the electrons are shared equally
between the atoms. A covalent bond in which the electrons are shared equally between
the two atoms is called a non-polar covalent bond.
H–H
In other words, a non-polar bond is a covalent bond in which bonding electrons are
shared equally between identical atoms, resulting in a balanced distribution of electrical
charge.
In contrast, in the covalently bonded HCl molecule, the H and Cl atoms are of different
elements; therefore, they do not share the bonding electrons equally.

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A chemical bond in which shared electrons spend more time in the vicinity of one
atom than the other is called a polar covalent bond, or simply a polar bond.
Polarity of bonds is caused by differences in the electronegativity of the two atoms
forming the bonds. Electronegativity is the ability of an atom to attract the shared
electrons in a chemical bond toward itself.
Elements with high electronegativity have a higher tendency to attract electrons than
elements with low electronegativity. For example, in the case of HCl, the electronegativity
of the chlorine atom is higher than that of the hydrogen atom. The shared pair of
electrons is more strongly attracted to the nucleus of the chlorine atom. As a result,
the chlorine atom acquires a partial negative charge (δ–) whereas the hydrogen atom
acquires a partial positive charge (δ+). The delta is read as "partial" or "slightly."
If a molecule has a positive end and a negative end, it is said to be polar and posses
a dipole. Dipole means 'two poles'.
Experimental evidence indicates that, in the HCl molecule, the electrons spend more
time near the chlorine atom. We can think of this unequal sharing of electrons as a
partial electron transfer or a shift in electron density as shown below:

This unequal sharing of the bonding electron pair results in a relatively higher electron
density near the chlorine atom and a correspondingly lower electron density near
hydrogen.

Exercise 3.5
1. How many electrons are shared in a:
a single bond, b double bond, and c triple covalent bond?
2. Draw Lewis structures for:
a H2 b Cl2 c C3H6
3. Draw Lewis structures for each of the following molecules:
a HBr b CO2 c H2O
Also indicate the partial charges using δ+ and δ–.

3.3.2 COORDINATE COVALENT BOND

A covalent bond in which one atom donates both electrons of the bond is called a
coordinate covalent bond. It is also called a dative bond. Such a bond is hypothetically
represented as:

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Once formed, a coordinate covalent bond has the same properties as any other covalent
bond. The atom that contributes both electrons for the bond is the donor atom, and
the atom that shares the electron pair is the acceptor atom.
For an atom to act as a donor, it must contain lone pair of electrons in its valence
shell and the acceptor atom must have at least one vacant orbital.
For example, the ammonium ion, NH+4, is formed by a coordinate covalent bond in
which the two non-bonding electrons on NH3 bond with a hydrogen ion, H+, which
has no electrons to contribute.

In the resulting ion, NH+4, the four N – H bonds are identical.

Similarly, a coordinate covalent bond can be formed between a hydrogen ion and a
molecule of water, which has two lone pairs of electrons.

Carbon monoxide, CO, also has a coordinate covalent bond. In order for both carbon
and oxygen atoms to attain noble-gas electron arrangements, oxygen donates a pair of
electrons to the carbon atom. In the process a coordinate covalent bond is formed
between the two atoms.

General properties of covalent compounds

1. Covalent compounds are generally liquids or gases at ordinary temperature. For
example : water and ethyl alcohol are liquids. Hydrogen chloride, methane and
cabon dioxide are gases. Same covalent compounds are solids (e.g. sugar)
2. As compared to ionic compounds, covalent compounds have relatively lower
melting points and boiling points.
3. They do not conduct electric current when molten or in aqueous solution, because
they consist of molecules rather than of ions.
4. Covalent compounds are insoluble in polar solvents such as water. They are
soluble in non-polar solvents such as benzene and carbon tetrachloride.

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Experiment 3.2

Investigating the Physical Properties of Covalent Compounds

I. Melting point
Objective: To investigate the effect of heat on covalent compounds.
Apparatus: Test tube, Bunsen burner.
Chemicals: Naphthalene, graphite, iodine.
1. Put a small amount of naphthalene into a dry test tube. Heat it strongly.
Naphthalene is toxic. Do not inhale it or get it on your skin.
a What do you observe? Does the solid melt or vaporize?
b Is the melting point high or low?
2. Repeat the procedure with graphite, and iodine separately. Iodine vapor is
toxic. Do not inhale it.
Observe and record your observation in a tabular form as shown below.
Substance Melted, vaporized or High or low
nothing happened melting point
Naphthalene
Graphite
Iodine

II. Solubility
Objective: To investigate the solubility of covalent compounds.
Apparatus: Test-tubes, test tube rack.
Chemicals: Naphthalene, graphite, iodine, ethanol, hexane and benzene.
3. Arrange 12 test tubes in three sets (A, B, C) of 4 test tube each. To each
test tube of set A, add 1 g of naphthalene. To each test tube of set B add 1
g of graphite and to each test tube of set C add 1 g of iodine.
4. Add about 10 mL of each the following solvents to the four test tubes of each
set separately and shake well.
• Water
• Ethanol
• Hexane
• Benzene
Caution: Ethanol, hexane and benzene are all highly flammable.
Observe and record whether the solids are very soluble, slightly soluble or insoluble.

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Solubility
Substance
Water Ethanol Hexane Benzene
Naphthalene
Graphite
Iodine
Observations and analysis
Draw general conclusions on the
a melting points,
b solubility in polar and non-polar solvents of the covalent compounds given.

Exercise 3.6
1. Which of the following molecules contain a covalent bond?
a CaO d SO2 g MgO
b HCl e Na2O h NaH
c CO 2 f PCl3 i CH4
2. Which of the following contain a dative bond?
a H3O+ b NH 3 c NH 2– d CaO
3. Which of the following molecules are polar ?
a SO2 c H 2O e BCl3 g CH3Cl
b CO 2 d CS2 f CH4
4. Which of the following are non-polar covalent compounds?
a O2 c CH4 e H2O g Br2
b HCl d O3 f Cl2

Activity 3.10
Form a group and perform the following task:
Collect samples of covalent compounds from your school laboratory and investigate
whether the samples are:
a liquids or solids b hard or soft c brittle or strong
What is your generalization about the physical properties of covalent compounds? Share
your ideas with the class.

Reading Check
What is the difference between a coordinate covalent bond and covalent bond?

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3.4 METALLIC BONDING

Competencies
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• explain the formation of metallic bond;
• explain the electrical and thermal conductivity of metals in relation to metallic
bonding; and
Activity 3.11
Form a group and discuss the following concepts and present your discussion to the class.
a Metals are solids. They contain large number of atoms in their crystals. What kind of
force do you think holds these metal atoms together?
b How do you account for the properties of metals, such as conductivity, malleability, and
ductility in terms of the bonds in metals?

The highest energy orbitals of most metals are occupied by very few electrons. In
s-block metals, for example, one or two valence electrons occupy s orbitals in the
outermost levels (for example Na and Mg). Furthermore, the p orbitals of the outer
most level are also occupied partially in p-block metals (example Tl, Pb and Bi).
The d-block metals contain partially filled (n–1)d levels in their atomic states or principal
oxidation states. The bonding in metals is different from that in other types of crystals.
The valence electrons of metals are not held by individual atoms. Rather, they are
delocalized and mobile (free to move throughout the structure).
The valence electrons form a sea of electrons around the metal ions and these metal
ions are organized as a crystal. Metallic bonding results from the attraction between
the metal ions and the surrounding sea of electrons.
For example, as illustrated in Figure 3.8, a sodium metal crystal is a lattice-like array
of Na+ ions surrounded by a sea of mobile bonding valence electrons.

Figure 3.8 Metallic bonding in sodium metal.

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The bonding valence electrons move freely throughout the entire crystal. This freedom
of movement is responsible for the electrical conductivity of metals.
Properties of Metallic Bonding
Have you ever visited a goldsmith workshop? Why are metals easily shaped into
thin sheets and drawn into wires?
The freedom of movement of bonding valence electrons is responsible for the high
electrical and thermal conductivity that characterizes the metals. Other properties of
metallic bonding contribute to unique properties of metals. For example, most metals
are easy to shape due to their malleability and ductility.
Malleability allows a substance such as a metal to be reshaped. By hammering and
bending some metals, you can create thin sheets. Ductility allows a substance to be
drawn or pulled out into long thin pieces, such as wires.
Metals are malleable and ductile because metallic bonding is the same in all directions
throughout the solid.
When we apply a force to metal, its cations swim freely within the sea of electrons
without breaking the crystal structure. For example, when you hammer, bend, or pull
on a metal to reshape it, you shift its cations around. The force you apply moves the
atoms around, for example, around corners in the lattice. This is the basis for malleability
and ductility of metals, which allows you to change its shape.

Project work
Model of a Metallic Crystal
Put about one hundred balls (for example, marble balls or balls made from other locally
available materials) into a rectangular glass trough. Shake the trough. Allow the balls to
settle.
a Draw a two-dimensional diagram to show how the marble balls are now arranged in
the trough.
b If the balls represent atoms in a metallic lattice, which species are occupying the
‘empty’ space between and around them?
Present your model and findings to the class.

Exercise 3.7
1. Describe how a metallic bond is different from those of an ionic bond and a
covalent bond.
2. Explain thermal and electrical conductivity in metals.
3. Is metallic bonding responsible to form compounds?

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3.5 INTERMOLECULAR FORCES

Competencies
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
• define inter-molecular forces;
• explain hydrogen bonding;
• explain the effects of hydrogen bonding on the properties of substances;
• describe Van der Waal's forces;
• explain dipole-dipole forces;
• give examples of molecules with dipole-dipole forces;
• explain dispersion forces;
• give examples of molecules in which dispersion force is important; and
• compare and contrast the three types of intermolecular forces.

Activity 3.12
Form a group and discuss the following phenomenon: Why do covalent compounds
usually exist as gases and liquids?
Share your views with the rest of the class.

Inter-molecular forces are relatively weak forces of attraction that occur between
molecules. Inter-molecular forces vary in strength but are generally weaker than the
bonds that join atoms in molecules, ions in ionic compounds, and metal atoms in solid
metals. Inter-molecular forces acting between molecules include: dipole-dipole forces,
London dispersion forces and hydrogen bonding. Dipole-dipole attractions and
London forces are collectively called Van der Waal's forces.
A Dipole-Dipole Forces
Dipole-dipole forces are strong inter-molecular forces between polar molecules. A dipole
is created by equal but opposite charges separated by a short distance. A polar molecule
acts as a tiny dipole because of its uneven charge distribution.
A dipole is represented by an arrow with a head pointing toward the negative pole
and crossed tail situated at the positive pole. The dipole created by a hydrogen chloride
molecule, which has its negative end at the more electronegative chlorine atom, is as
shown below:

Figure 3.9 Dipole-dipole interactions in HCl molecules.

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The negative end in one polar molecule attracts the positive end in an adjacent molecule
in a liquid or solid. Dipole-dipole forces occur in molecules such as ethyl alcohol and
water.
B London Dispersion Forces
All molecules, including those without dipole moments, exert forces on each other. We
know this because all substances, even the noble gases, change from liquid to solid
state under different conditions.

Figure 3.10 Induced dipole-induced dipole forces between non-polar molecules.

London dispersion forces act between all atoms and molecules. They are the only
forces that exist between noble gas atoms and non-polar molecules. This fact is reflected
in the low boiling points of noble gases and non-polar molecules. Because dispersion
forces result from temporary redistribution of the electrons causing induced dipole-
dipole interactions, their strength increases with the number of electrons in the interacting
atoms or molecules. Hence, dispersion forces increase with atomic number or molar
mass. This trend can be seen by comparing the boiling points of gases (helium, He,
and argon, Ar), (hydrogen, H2, and oxygen, O2), and (chlorine, Cl2, and bromine,
Br2).
As an illustration, the boiling points of the noble gases are presented in Table 3.4.

Table 3.3 Boiling points of noble gases.

Noble gas Boiling Point (oC) Number of electrons
He -269 2
Ne -246 10
Ar -186 18
Kr -152 36
Xe -107 54
Rn -62 86

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As you look down the column of noble gases, you note that boiling point increases.
This is because the induced dipole-dipole interaction increases.
C Hydrogen Bonding
Hydrogen bonding is a particular type of intermolecular force arising when a hydrogen
atom is bonded to highly electronegative elements, fluorine, oxygen and nitrogen.
Hydrogen bonding is a particular type of dipole-dipole interactions between polar
compounds. In such compounds, large electronegativity differences between the hydrogen
and the fluorine, oxygen, or nitrogen atoms make the bonds connecting them highly
polar. This polarity gives the hydrogen atom a positive charge. Moreover, the small
size of the hydrogen atom allows the atom to come very close to an unshared pair of
electrons on an adjacent molecule. Hydrogen bonding is responsible for the unusual
high boiling points of some compounds such as hydrogen fluoride (HF), water (H2O)
and ammonia (NH3).
Hydrogen bonds are usually represented by dotted lines connecting the hydrogen atom
to the unshared electron pair of the electronegative atom to which it is attracted. For
example, the hydrogen bond in hydrogen fluoride, HF, results when the highly
electronegative F atom attracts the H atoms of an adjacent molecule.

Do you think that the intermolecular forces between molecules containing C-H,
N-H, and O-H bonds are as strong as the intermolecular forces containing F-H
bonds?

Exercise 3.8
1. Which of the following exists predominately in the water (H2O) molecule?
a Van der Waal's force c coordinate covalent bond
b hydrogen bond d none of these
2. Which of the following has the highest induced dipole interactions in its molecule?
a He c Ne
b Ar d Kr

Critical Thinking

Oxygen (16 32
8 O) and Sulphur (16 S) are in the same group in the periodic table.
They form compounds with hydrogen, H2O and H2S. However, H2O is a liquid,
whereas H2S is a gas at room temperature. Give explanation?

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Check List
Key terms of the unit

• Anions • Ionization energy

• Bonding-pair electrons • London forces
• Cations • Lone-pair electrons
• Chemical bond • Malleability
• Conductivity • Metallic bond
• Coordinate/dative bond • Mobile electrons
• Covalent bond • Noble gases
• Delocalized electrons • Non-bonding electrons
• Dipole • Octet rule
• Dipole-dipole interaction • Polar bond
• Double-bond • Polar covalent bond
• Ductility • Polarity
• Electronegativity • Sea of electrons
• Electrovalent bond • Single-bond
• Hydrogen bonding • Triple-bond
• Inter-molecular forces • Valence electrons
• Ionic bonding • Van der Waal's forces

Unit Summary
• A chemical bond is the attractive force that binds atoms together to form a
molecule (or a crystal lattice), an ionic or metallic crystal lattice.
• An ionic bond is the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions
(cations and anions).
• A covalent bond is formed by a shared pair of electrons.
• A covalent bond in which one pair of electrons is shared is known as a single
bond; for example, H2 written as H – H.
• Atoms can also share more than one pair of electrons to form a multiple bond.
• The sharing of three pairs of electrons forms a triple bond - for example, N2,
written as N≡N.
• A dative or coordinate covalent bond is a bond in which one of the atoms
supplies both of the shared electrons to the covalent bond.
• A metallic bond is the electrostatic attraction between positive metal ions and
delocalized electrons.

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• Inter-molecular forces are forces of attraction between covalently bonded

molecules. These include: London forces, dipole-dipole forces, and hydrogen
bonding.
• London forces are forces of attractions between nonpolar molecules.
• Dipole-dipole forces are the attractions between dipoles of polar molecules.
• Hydrogen bonding is the attraction of covalently bonded hydrogen to lone pairs
on N, O, or F atoms in other molecules or in the same molecule (if the molecule
is large enough).

REVIEW EXERCISE ON UNIT 3

Part I: Multiple Choice Type Questions

1. Which of the following contain localized valence electrons?
a Cu c C 6H 6
b C 2H 6 d none
2. Which of the following is a compound?
a Cl2 c Na
b HCl d liquid oxygen
3. In the formation of ionic bonding, valence electrons are:
a shared c transferred
b delocalized d not affected
4. What force is responsible for the formation of ice during the freezing of water?
a ionic c dipole-dipole interaction
b covalent d dative bond
5. Which of the following has the highest electrical conductivity in the solid state?
a water c sodium
b common salt d rubber

Part II: Write the missing words in your exercise book

6. Ionic bonding is formed between the atoms of _____ and _____.
7. Covalent bonding is formed between the atoms of _____.
8. Metallic bonding is formed between the atoms of _____.
9. The forces that hold atoms together in molecules of compounds are called _____.

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Part III: Short Answer Type Questions

10. Give a simple explanation of the following, using an example:
a a covalent bond d hydrogen bonding
b an ionic bond e metallic bond
c a dative bond
11. Classify the bonds that can be formed between the following pairs of atoms as
principally ionic or covalent:
a calcium and chlorine e sodium and hydrogen
b boron and carbon f aluminium and oxygen
c sodium and bromine g chlorine and oxygen
d magnesium and nitrogen h iodine and chlorine
12. Give the Lewis structures for the following:
a H2S g NH3
b CaS h CH4
c Al2O3 i CF4
d HF j NO
e N2 k CaCl2
f C 2H4
13. Which of the following molecules can form hydrogen bonding?
a H2S e NH3
b CO 2 f HF
c SO 2 g CH3OH
d CH4
14. Which of the following substances contain hydrogen bonding?
a hydrogen chloride c ammonia
b water d methane
15. Classify the following molecules as polar or non-polar:
a CH4 e H2O2
b CH3Cl f BCl3
c C 2H2 g H2S
d CO 2 h HBr
16. What is meant by a polar molecule?
17. Explain the fact that HCl is polar, whereas Cl2 is a non-polar molecule.
18. What is the difference between intermolecular and intra-molecular attractive
forces?

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