true or false? covalent compounds mainly contain elements in groups 1 and 2 of the periodic table.
False. Covalent compounds mainly contain non-metal elements, which are mostly in groups 14–17 (and hydrogen), not in groups 1 and 2.
Why the statement is false
- Groups 1 and 2 are the alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, which tend to form positive ions and make ionic compounds with non-metals.
- Covalent compounds form when atoms share electrons, which most commonly happens between non-metal atoms located toward the right side of the periodic table (roughly groups 13–18, plus hydrogen).
Quick examples
- Typical covalent compounds:
- Water, H2O\text{H}_2\text{O}H2O: hydrogen (often treated with non-metals) + oxygen (group 16).
* Carbon dioxide, CO2\text{CO}_2CO2: carbon (group 14) + oxygen (group 16).
- Typical compounds of groups 1 and 2 (like NaCl, MgO) are ionic, not covalent, because metals transfer electrons to non-metals instead of sharing them.
So the correct answer to “true or false? covalent compounds mainly contain elements in groups 1 and 2 of the periodic table” is: False.
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