Chemical bond
A chemical bond is the physical process re-
sponsible
for
the attractive
interactions
between atoms and molecules, and that
which confers stability to diatomic and poly-
atomic chemical compounds. The explanation
of the attractive forces is a complex area that
is described by the laws of quantum electro-
dynamics.[1] In practice, however, chemists
usually rely on quantum theory or qualitative
descriptions that are less rigorous but more
easily explained to describe chemical bond-
ing. In general, strong chemical bonding is
associated with the sharing or transfer of
electrons between the participating atoms.
Molecules, crystals, and diatomic gases—in-
deed most of
the physical environment
around us—are held together by chemical
bonds, which dictate the structure of matter.
Bonds vary widely in their strength which
is associated both with the energy required
to break them, and the forces they exert on
the atoms they hold together. Generally cova-
lent and ionic bonds are often described as
"strong", whereas hydrogen bonds and van
der Waals’ bonds are generally considered to
be "weak," although there exist overlaps in
strength within these bond classes.
Examples of Lewis dot-style chemical bonds
between carbon C, hydrogen H, and oxygen
O. Lewis dot depictures represent an early
attempt to describe chemical bonding and
are still widely used today.
Since opposite charges attract via a basic
electromagnetic
force,
the
negatively-
charged electrons orbiting the nucleus and
the positively-charged protons in the nucleus
attract each other. Also, an electron posi-
tioned between two nuclei will be attracted
to both of them. Thus, the most stable config-
uration of nuclei and electrons is one in
which
the electrons spend more
time
between nuclei, than anywhere else in space.
These electrons cause the nuclei to be attrac-
ted to each other. However, this assembly
cannot collapse to a size dictated by the
volumes of these individual particles. Due to
the matter wave nature of electrons and their
relatively small