Which statement best defines a covalent bond?

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Multiple Choice

Which statement best defines a covalent bond?

Explanation:
Covalent bonding occurs when atoms share electrons to fill their outer shells, which is most common between nonmetals with similar electronegativities. The statement describing the sharing of electron pairs between two non-metals captures this idea, since no complete electron transfer happens and the bond arises from jointly held electrons between the atoms. The other descriptions refer to ionic bonding—formed by transfer of electrons and electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions—and to metallic bonding, where a lattice of metal cations is held together by a delocalized “sea” of electrons. Thus, the shared-electron-pair picture best defines covalent bonding.

Covalent bonding occurs when atoms share electrons to fill their outer shells, which is most common between nonmetals with similar electronegativities. The statement describing the sharing of electron pairs between two non-metals captures this idea, since no complete electron transfer happens and the bond arises from jointly held electrons between the atoms. The other descriptions refer to ionic bonding—formed by transfer of electrons and electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions—and to metallic bonding, where a lattice of metal cations is held together by a delocalized “sea” of electrons. Thus, the shared-electron-pair picture best defines covalent bonding.

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