Humber Admissions Practice Test

What happens to electrons in covalent compounds?

1. They are lost to the surrounding environment

2. They are gained from metals

3. They are transferred to ions

4. They are shared between nonmetals

The correct answer is: They are shared between nonmetals

In covalent compounds, electrons are shared between nonmetals. This sharing of electrons allows each nonmetal atom to attain a stable electronic configuration, typically resembling that of noble gases. When two nonmetals come together to form a covalent bond, they overlap their atomic orbitals, enabling them to share one or more pairs of electrons. This not only stabilizes the atoms involved but also leads to the formation of specific molecular structures that exhibit distinct chemical properties. The nature of the shared electrons allows for the flexible creation of various molecules, with different bond types (single, double, or triple bonds) depending on how many electron pairs are shared. The resulting covalent bonds are stronger and more directional than some other types of bonding, which is a significant factor contributing to the diverse chemistry of nonmetals. The other options do not accurately describe what occurs with electrons in covalent compounds. For instance, losing electrons to the surrounding environment or gaining them from metals would suggest ionic bonding rather than covalent bonding. Similarly, transferring electrons to ions is characteristic of ionic compounds where there is a complete transfer of electrons, not sharing.