covalent
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Relating to or characterized by covalent bonds: Describes a type of strong chemical bond where two atoms share one or more pairs of electrons.
- Pertaining to covalence: Relating to the number of electron pairs an atom can share with other atoms.
Usage
- The term "covalent" is primarily used in chemistry to describe the nature of a bond between atoms or the structure of a molecule.
- It is most commonly used attributively before a noun (e.g., covalent bond, covalent compound).
- It describes a fundamental type of chemical interaction distinct from ionic or metallic bonding.
Examples
- Adjective:
- Water is a covalent molecule. (The atoms in a water molecule are held together by shared electrons.)
- A covalent bond is typically formed between two non-metal atoms. (This bond involves the sharing of electron pairs.)
- The compound has a simple covalent structure. (The substance is made of molecules where atoms share electrons.)
Advanced Usage
- "Covalent character": Refers to the degree or extent to which a bond exhibits properties of electron sharing, even in bonds that are primarily ionic.
- The bond has significant covalent character due to the similar electronegativity of the atoms.
- "Covalent network solid": Describes a solid material where atoms are bonded in a continuous network by covalent bonds (e.g., diamond, quartz).
- Diamond is an extremely hard covalent network solid.
Variants and Related Words
- Covalently (adverb): In a manner involving a covalent bond.
- The atoms are covalently bonded.
- Covalency / Covalence (noun): The number of electron pairs an atom can share; the state of being linked by covalent bonds.
- Carbon has a covalency of four.
- Covalent bond (noun phrase): The specific bond formed by the sharing of electron pairs between atoms.
Synonyms
- Electron-sharing: (Descriptive phrase) Involving the sharing of electrons between atoms.
- Nonpolar covalent: (Specific type) A covalent bond where electrons are shared equally.
- Polar covalent: (Specific type) A covalent bond where electrons are shared unequally.
Antonyms
- Ionic: Relating to a bond formed by the complete transfer of electrons from one atom to another.
- Metallic: Relating to a bond characteristic of metals, involving a "sea" of delocalized electrons.
Related Phrases and Concepts
- Coordinate covalent bond / Dative bond: A type of covalent bond where both shared electrons come from the same atom.
- In an ammonium ion, one bond is a coordinate covalent bond.
- Covalent radius: Half the distance between the nuclei of two identical atoms joined by a covalent bond.
- The covalent radius of chlorine is used to predict bond lengths.
Adjective
- of or relating to or characterized by covalence
- covalent bond