what type of bonds do compounds formed from non-metals consist of?
Compounds formed from non‑metals consist mainly of covalent bonds, where atoms share pairs of electrons instead of transferring them.
Quick Scoop
- When a non‑metal bonds with another non‑metal, they usually share electrons to fill their outer shells, creating covalent bonds.
- These covalent bonds can be:
- Single (one shared pair)
- Double (two shared pairs)
- Triple (three shared pairs)
- Examples:
- Oxygen gas, O2\text{O}_2O2, has a double covalent bond between two oxygen atoms.
- Nitrogen gas, N2\text{N}_2N2, has a triple covalent bond between two nitrogen atoms.
- In school‑level chemistry, “non‑metal + non‑metal = covalent bond” is the standard rule used to predict bond type.