Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of chemical bond: Covalence refers to the bonding between atoms characterized by the sharing of one or more pairs of electrons.
   • A measure of bonding capacity: It can also denote the number of electron pairs an atom can share with other atoms, indicating its combining power in covalent bonds.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The covalence between the two hydrogen atoms in a hydrogen molecule is a single bond.
  • Carbon has a maximum covalence of four, allowing it to form four covalent bonds.
  • The molecule's stability is due to the strong covalence of its internal bonds.

Advanced Usage

• "Coordinate covalence": A type of covalent bond where both shared electrons are donated by the same atom.
  • In an ammonium ion, one of the bonds is a coordinate covalence where nitrogen donates both electrons.

Variants and Related Words

• Covalency (n): An alternative form with the same meaning as 'covalence'.
• Covalent (adj): Describing a bond or compound formed by the sharing of electron pairs.
  • Water is a covalent compound.

Synonyms

• Electron-pair bond: A bond formed by a shared pair of electrons.
• Shared-electron bond: Emphasizes the sharing aspect of the bond.

Related Phrases

(This term is highly technical and does not commonly form standard phrasal verbs or idioms in general English.)

Noun

1. valence characterized by the sharing of electrons in a chemical compound; the number of pairs of electrons an atom can share