which elements tend to form covalent bonds?

Elements that tend to form covalent bonds are mainly nonmetals , especially those on the right side of the periodic table (like hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, the halogens, and some metalloids). They bond by sharing valence electrons rather than transferring them, which is what happens in ionic bonding.

What covalent bonds are

• A covalent bond is a chemical bond where two atoms share one or more pairs of valence electrons.

• Sharing lets each atom “fill” its outer shell (follow the octet rule or duet for hydrogen), making the molecule more stable.

Which elements usually form them

• Nonmetals such as hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulfur, and selenium commonly form covalent bonds.

• The halogens (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, astatine) and even many noble gases under special conditions can also form covalent bonds.

Where on the periodic table

• Covalent bonding is most typical between elements on the right side of the periodic table where nonmetals are located.

• When two nonmetals react with each other (for example, hydrogen with oxygen in water, or carbon with oxygen in carbon dioxide), the bond is usually covalent.

Role of electronegativity

• Elements that are relatively electronegative and not willing to lose electrons tend to share electrons instead, favoring covalent bonding.

• When both atoms have fairly high electronegativity (typical of nonmetals), sharing is more favorable than full electron transfer, so a covalent bond forms.

Quick rule of thumb

• Nonmetal + nonmetal → usually covalent bond (sharing electrons).

• Metal + nonmetal → usually ionic bond (electron transfer), not covalent.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.