Covalent Bond Formation And Stability: Unveiling The Role Of Electron Sharing
In a covalent bond, electrons are shared between atoms, forming a stronger bond than in ionic bonds. These shared electrons form electron pairs and occupy molecular orbitals created by overlapping atomic orbitals. The overlap of orbitals with the same phase forms bonding molecular orbitals, stabilizing the bond. Conversely, the overlap of orbitals with opposite phases forms antibonding molecular orbitals, destabilizing the bond. The bond order, which measures the bond strength, is determined by the number of bonding and antibonding electrons.
