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Bonding, Structure, and the Properties of Matter

Covalent bonding and how it is represented

  • 3 things to know
  • Paper 1

Overview

What a covalent bond is, small molecules, polymers and giant covalent structures, recognising each from formulae, bonds drawn as lines, ball and stick models and shortened polymer formulae, dot and cross diagrams for molecules such as hydrogen, chlorine, water, ammonia and methane, the limits of two-dimensional diagrams, and deducing molecular and polymer formulae from models and diagrams.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

What is a covalent bond?

Key term

Give two examples of substances that consist of small covalently bonded molecules.

Key term

How can you recognise from its chemical formula that a substance consists of small molecules?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What is a covalent bond?

    Model answer

    A bond formed when two atoms share a pair of electrons.

  2. 2

    How strong are the covalent bonds between the atoms in a molecule?

    Model answer

    They are very strong.

  3. 3

    Give two examples of substances that consist of small covalently bonded molecules.

    Model answer

    Water, H₂O, and carbon dioxide, CO₂.

  4. 4

    How can you recognise from its chemical formula that a substance consists of small molecules?

    Model answer

    The formula shows a small fixed number of non-metal atoms, as in NH₃ or CH₄.

  5. 5

    Which covalently bonded substances have very large molecules?

    Model answer

    Polymers.

  6. 6

    How does a polymer molecule differ from a molecule of methane?

    Model answer

    A polymer molecule contains very many atoms covalently bonded in a long repeating chain, while methane has only five atoms.

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