Chemical bond

Lewis structures showing chemical bonds between carbon C, hydrogen H, and oxygen O

Chemical bonds are what join together atoms. When two or more atoms are in a chemical bond they stay joined unless the needed amount of energy or more is transferred to the bond. Something different can then happen. Chemical bonds can be explained using different theories. Some of these theories try to explain chemical bonds in a simple way that can be used by chemists to imagine what could happen when they try to make molecules. Some explain how the atoms are bonded together with more detail and are used by chemists and physicists. There are two types of bonds covalent and ionic. Covalent bonds form when atoms share electrons. Ionic bonding is the attraction between oppositely charged ions.

Lewis Dot Style

A common way chemists describe chemical bonds is through the number of electrons each atom has on itself. Each atom is drawn with the number of electrons as dots to form a maximum of eight. The number of dots changes if there are less or more electrons. If the electrons form a chemical bond then a line is drawn between the two electrons.