How do atoms combine?

Question

Natalie Anton · Accepted Answer

By the sharing of electron density, or by the exchange of electrons to form discrete positive and negative ions.....

The modern covalent bond is conceived to be a region of high electron density between 2 positively charged atomic nuclei such that internuclear repulsion is negated, and a net attractive force operates between the nuclei and the electron cloud.

Alternatively, atoms can exchange electrons to form discrete positive and negative ions, which may be bound together in a non-molecular, electrostatic lattice.

Mateo Aguilar · Answer

undefined Chemical bonding is the process by which atoms join together to form molecules or compounds. It is the sharing, gaining, or losing of electrons between atoms to achieve a stable electron configuration. Covalent bonds, ionic bonds, and metallic bonds are the three main types of chemical bonds: covalent bonds are formed when atoms share electrons, whereas ionic bonds are formed when electrons are transferred from one atom to another to form ions that attract one another. Metallic bonds are found in metals and involve the sharing of electrons among a lattice of positively charged metal ions.