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Covalence for Dummies

noun

pronunciation: koʊ'veɪləns

What does Covalence really mean?

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Covalence is a word that might sound a little unfamiliar at first, but it's actually a very interesting concept! Covalence is all about sharing and teamwork – it's like when you and a friend both work together on a project, and each of you contributes some important ideas or skills to make it really awesome!

Now, let's dive into a bit more detail about what covalence really means. In the world of science, covalence refers to the special bond that forms between two atoms when they decide to share their outer shell electrons. Wow, that may sound a bit complicated, but bear with me, and I promise it will all become clear!

Imagine you have a group of friends, and you all want to have a successful party. Instead of trying to organize everything on your own, you decide to work together and share the responsibilities. For example, one friend brings delicious snacks, another brings awesome music, and yet another helps decorate the place. In the end, by cooperating and combining your strengths, you create a party that everyone loves!

Well, covalence in science is quite similar! In a chemical bond, when two atoms get together, they share their outer shell electrons, just like your friends share their skills and resources for a great party. This sharing of electrons helps both atoms become more stable and content, just like how your friends working together make the party come alive!

Now, let's introduce another way to look at covalence. Imagine you and your best friend want to build a sandcastle on the beach. Instead of each of you building separate sandcastles, you decide to join forces and work on one big sandcastle together. In this way, you combine your individual efforts and ideas to build an even better sandcastle than you could have made on your own!

In chemistry, covalence works a bit like that sandcastle construction. Instead of atoms standing alone, they come together and collaborate, fusing their resources and energy to form a stronger and more stable molecule. Just like you and your friend working together on the sandcastle, atoms in a covalent bond team up to achieve something greater than they could have done individually.

So, to sum it up, covalence is all about sharing and teamwork. It's when atoms or groups of atoms come together and decide to pool their resources, skills, and energy in order to create a stronger and more stable bond. Like friends working together on a project or building a sandcastle, covalence helps create something greater and more amazing than what could be achieved on their own. I hope this explanation helps you understand the concept of covalence better! Feel free to ask any other questions you might have!

Revised and Fact checked by Michael Davis on 2023-10-28 08:04:47

Covalence In a sentece

Learn how to use Covalence inside a sentece

  • Water is an example of covalence, as it consists of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom sharing electrons to form a molecule.
  • In a molecule of methane, the carbon atom forms covalent bonds with four hydrogen atoms, resulting in a stable compound.
  • The covalence between nitrogen and three hydrogen atoms creates ammonia, which is commonly used in cleaning products.
  • Oxygen gas exhibits covalence, as two oxygen atoms share electrons to form a stable diatomic molecule.
  • When chlorine and sodium atoms combine through covalent bonding, sodium chloride or table salt is formed.

Covalence Synonyms

Words that can be interchanged for the original word in the same context.

Covalence Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.