 Overview of The Chemical Bond Chemical bond is a term used to describe the range of different types of attractions that can occur to allow two or more atoms to become persistently associated and take on properties as a group. Although there aren't clear distinctions at the boundaries, there are basically three types of chemical bonds: metallic, ionic, and covalent.
In pure metals and many alloys, the outermost s and p electrons become freely mobile, forming a kind of electron 'fluid'. Metallic bonding describes the attractions between the lattice of positively charged metal ions and the surrounding mobile electrons.
Ionding bonding results from the transfer of electrons from one species to another. The bond is the resulting attraction between the cation and anion formed.
Covalent bonds result when atoms share a pair of electrons. The bond consists of the attraction of the electron pair in the internuclear space for the nuclei of the bonded atoms.
The Chemical Bond on the MCATAlthough you will probably see a few traditionally framed chemical bonding questions on the MCAT, no other topic is more important for your overall goals in MCAT preparation in the sciences. Huge portions of the general chemistry, organic chemistry, and biology can only be coherently understood if you understand the fundamentals of chemical bonding. |