Most covalent bonds form between nonmetal elements that share electrons to fill their outer shells, often following the octet rule.

Core idea

  • A covalent bond is a chemical bond where two atoms share one or more pairs of electrons instead of transferring them completely.
  • This sharing lets each atom achieve a more stable valence shell (often 8 electrons, or 2 for hydrogen).

What types of elements?

  • Covalent bonds usually form between nonmetal–nonmetal pairs, such as H and O in water (H₂O), C and O in carbon dioxide (CO₂), or two identical nonmetals like O₂ and N₂.
  • Metals and nonmetals are more likely to form ionic bonds (electron transfer), while two nonmetals, which both have relatively high electronegativity, tend to share electrons covalently.

Periodic table pattern

  • Nonmetals are found on the right side of the periodic table (plus hydrogen), and these elements commonly form covalent bonds with each other.
  • Many group 14–17 elements (like C, N, O, F, Cl) form multiple covalent bonds and appear in molecular and macromolecular structures (e.g., organic compounds, polymers).

TL;DR: When you ask “what type of elements form covalent bonds,” the answer is: mainly nonmetals bonding with other nonmetals by sharing electrons to reach stable outer shells.

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