Definition
A covalent bond is a chemical bond that involves the sharing of electrons to form electron pairs between atoms. These electron pairs are known as shared pairs or bonding pairs. The stable balance of attractive and repulsive forces between atoms, when they share electrons, is known as covalent bonding. For many molecules, the sharing of electrons allows each atom to attain the equivalent of a full valence shell, corresponding to a stable electronic configuration. In organic chemistry, covalent bonding is much more common than ionic bonding, where atoms are separate and merely associated by electrostatic attraction.
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Absorption spectroscopyAgostic interactionAntibonding molecular orbitalAromaticityAsymmetryAtomAtomic orbitalAtomic orbitalsAurophilicityBaird's ruleBasis set (chemistry)Bent bondBenzeneBicycloaromaticityBond cleavageBond energyBond orderBonding in solidsBonding molecular orbitalBoronBoron hydridesBromine dioxideCarbon dioxideCarlton, VictoriaCation–pi interactionCenter of massChalcogen bondCharge-shift bondChemical bondChemical polarityChlorine dioxideCluster chemistryConfiguration interactionConjugated systemCoordinate covalent bondCovalent (disambiguation)Covalent bond classificationCovalent radiusCross section (physics)C–H···O interactionDelocalized electronDelta bondDiamondDiboraneDihydrogen bondDihydrogen cationDilithiumDioxygenDipoleDisulfide bondDouble bondEight-center two-electron bondElectronElectron configurationElectron correlationElectron countingElectron deficiencyElectron pairElectronegativityElectronic configurationElectronsElectrostaticEthanolExchange interactionFour-center two-electron bondFritz LondonFunctional groupGeometryGilbert N. LewisGraphiteHClHOMO/LUMOHadronsHalogen bondHapticityHelium dimerHeterocyclicHeterolysis (chemistry)HexagonHomoaromaticityHomolysis (chemistry)HydrogenHydrogen atomHydrogen bondHyperconjugationHypervalent moleculeHückel's ruleIUPAC nomenclature of organic chemistryIntercalation (chemistry)Intermolecular forceIntramolecular forceIntroduction to quantum mechanicsIodineIodine oxideIonic bondIonic bondingIonization energyIrving LangmuirJemmis mno rulesJournal of the American Chemical SocietyLewis StructureLewis structureLinear combination of atomic orbitalsLinear combination of atomic orbitals molecular orbital methodList of important publications in chemistryList of organic compoundsLondon dispersion forceLone pairLow-barrier hydrogen bondMO diagramMacromolecularMechanically interlocked molecular architecturesMerriam-WebsterMesonMetal aromaticityMetallic bondingMetallophilic interactionMetal–ligand multiple bondMethaneMolecular hydrogenMolecular orbitalMolecular orbital diagramMolecular orbital theoryMolecular structuresMoleculeMöbius aromaticityNetwork covalent bondingNitrateNitric oxideNitrogenNon-bonding orbitalNon-covalent interactionsNoncovalent bondingNuclear forceNylonOctet ruleOrbital hybridisationOrganic chemistryOrganic compoundOrganic reactionOrganic synthesisParamagneticParamagnetismParticle physicsPhi bondPhotonPi backbondingPi bondPolyethylenePolyhedral skeletal electron pair theoryProteinProtonQuadruple bondQuantum chemistryQuantum mechanicsQuantum numberQuarksQuartzQuintuple bondRadical (chemistry)Reaction mechanismResistivityResonance-assisted hydrogen bondResonance (chemistry)Salt bridge (protein and supramolecular)ScatteringSextuple bondSigma bondSingle bondSinglet stateSpectroscopySpherical aromaticitySpin (physics)Stacking (chemistry)StarchStereochemistrySulfur dioxideSulfur hexafluorideSymmetric hydrogen bondThree-center four-electron bondThree-center two-electron bondTriple bondTriplet stateValence (chemistry)Valence bond theoryVan der Waals forceWalter HeitlerXenon difluorideYukawa interaction
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