Chemistry Help Topic

[mayastarr041]

I read all the chemistry stuff yesterday and it seemed really interesting. Since I have nothing better to at Paris (since I'm staying there for a really long time), I decided to strengthen my chemistry knowledge, so I just typed on the internet: Step by Step Chemistry Guide, and I'm taking an "online course."
Any information I need help with, I will put here, so I will greatly appreciate it if the chemistry experts could help me. I won't be asking for answers. I will be putting solved problems for correction and criticism. Thanks guys!

Ionic Vs Covalent Bond
There are two types of atomic bonds - ionic bonds and covalent bonds. They differ in their structure and properties. Covalent bonds consist of pairs of electrons shared by two atoms, and bind the atoms in a fixed orientation. Relatively high energies are required to break them (50 - 200 kcal/mol). Whether two atoms can form a covalent bond depends upon their electronegativity i.e. the power of an atom in a molecule to attract electrons to itself. If two atoms differ considerably in their electronegativity - as sodium and chloride do - then one of the atoms will lose its electron to the other atom. This results in a positively charged ion (cation) and negatively charged ion (anion). The bond between these two ions is called an ionic bond.
By reading this passage online, it confused me all the more. It says that covalent bonds consist of pairs of electrons shared by two atoms and bind the atom so they are fixed. And for the ionic bond, it says the bond between these an ion(cation) and negatively charged ion (anion), forms it. That is just plain confusing. So what they are basically saying is that covalent bonds are basically unbreakable bonds that stick together and ionic bonds are 2 weird stuff (ions and cations) that are easy to break? Am I understanding this correctly?

[blueflower999]

The easiest way to explain atoms is, in my opinion, to personify them a bit.

Essentially atoms want to be happy. To become happy, certain atoms want to give away electrons and certain atoms want to take more electrons from others. Generally speaking, metals like Sodium, Calcium, and Silver will give away electrons, while non-metals like Oxygen, Fluorine, and Chlorine will take electrons. The number of electrons give and taken depends on the structure of the atom and its position on the periodic table. Giving and taking electrons is essentially what ionic bonding is.

Sodium, for instance, has one electron that it wants to get rid of to be happy. Chlorine, on the other hand, needs one more electron to be happy. Sodium gives its one electron to Chlorine, and now they're both all warm and fuzzy inside.

What happens then is interesting. As you might know, electrons have a negative charge, and protons have a positive charge. In singular atoms, the number of protons always equals the number of electrons orbiting around the nucleus. This keeps the net charge at zero. However, when the Sodium gives an electron away, it now has 11 protons and 10 electrons, so the atom is slightly positive. Similarly, Chlorine takes in a new electron, and now it's slightly negative. Opposites attract, and because of the charges the two atoms stick together, forming what you know as table salt.

That's essentially how ionic bonding works. Tell me if you understand alright and we'll make sure you've got this down before we move on to covalent bonding.

[mikey]

HELIUM THOUGH
IT oNLY WANts TWO
IT'S DRUnK

[Hero of Trains]

Yes, what Blue said.
Also, whether the atoms are "happy" or not depends on how many valence electrons the atom has. Valence electrons are the extras that it can give away, and they're in the outer shell. These shells have a maximum number of electrons they can hold. The first can hold 2, the second 8, and so on. (They're also used to organize the periodic table) The atoms want to have a full shell, or zero valence electrons.

[mayastarr041]

The easiest way to explain atoms is, in my opinion, to personify them a bit.

Essentially atoms want to be happy. To become happy, certain atoms want to give away electrons and certain atoms want to take more electrons from others. Generally speaking, metals like Sodium, Calcium, and Silver will give away electrons, while non-metals like Oxygen, Fluorine, and Chlorine will take electrons. The number of electrons give and taken depends on the structure of the atom and its position on the periodic table. Giving and taking electrons is essentially what ionic bonding is.

Gotcha, so I'd call it an ionic bond if let's say Hydrogen donated an electron to....Bromine? It's simple like that? Or maybe Oxygen steals it from Hydrogen and that's Ionic Bonding?

Sodium, for instance, has one electron that it wants to get rid of to be happy. Chlorine, on the other hand, needs one more electron to be happy. Sodium gives its one electron to Chlorine, and now they're both all warm and fuzzy inside.

Why does it need an electron to be happy? Can't it like create one or something like that?

What happens then is interesting. As you might know, electrons have a negative charge, and protons have a positive charge. In singular atoms, the number of protons always equals the number of electrons orbiting around the nucleus. This keeps the net charge at zero. However, when the Sodium gives an electron away, it now has 11 protons and 10 electrons, so the atom is slightly positive. Similarly, Chlorine takes in a new electron, and now it's slightly negative. Opposites attract, and because of the charges the two atoms stick together, forming what you know as table salt.

How do they get drawn to each other? Sodium and chlorine.
Are they attracted because they both have something in common?

That's essentially how ionic bonding works. Tell me if you understand alright and we'll make sure you've got this down before we move on to covalent bonding.

Those are the only questions I have. Thank you very much! 

[mayastarr041]

Yes, what Blue said.
Also, whether the atoms are "happy" or not depends on how many valence electrons the atom has. Valence electrons are the extras that it can give away, and they're in the outer shell. These shells have a maximum number of electrons they can hold. The first can hold 2, the second 8, and so on. (They're also used to organize the periodic table) The atoms want to have a full shell, or zero valence electrons.

Valence? Is it that set of number? So it's 2, 8, then maybe 16? Do you double it? What do they achieve by having 0 valence electrons?

[mayastarr041]

HELIUM THOUGH
IT oNLY WANts TWO
IT'S DRUnK

Go home Nocturne. Your also drunk! 

[Hero of Trains]

Valence? Is it that set of number? So it's 2, 8, then maybe 16? Do you double it? What do they achieve by having 0 valence electrons?

Valence is just what it's called. And they actually stay at 8 for a while, then go higher. When they have a full shell, they don't need to gain or lose electrons. The noble gases all have full shells, which is why they don't react much.

[mayastarr041]

Valence is just what it's called. And they actually stay at 8 for a while, then go higher. When they have a full shell, they don't need to gain or lose electrons. The noble gases all have full shells, which is why they don't react much.

That's what I get for jumping ahead chapters. I should've started from the beginning. Woe is me.

[Hero of Trains]

Yeah, you might want to start at the beginning. Learn about the periodic table some more.

[mayastarr041]

Yep, your right Trains!
The thing is the beginning chapter talks about math like conversions and SI units. They seem tedious.

[Hero of Trains]

Yes, but it's good for determining scale and getting a foundation, even if it is tedious.
By the way, if you need help with math, you can ask me as well.

[mayastarr041]

Thanks! I'll get right to it!

[mikey]

pretty much everyone here has taken at least a year of chemistry apparently
some have their BS

[mayastarr041]

some have their BS

Bullsh*t?