Video Transcript
Which type of chemical bonding does
not involve electrostatic attraction between the positively charged nuclei and the
negatively charged electrons?
Chemical bonds form as atoms share
or exchange electrons with each other. Covalent bonds form when atoms
share valence electrons. The figure shows a covalent bond
between two hydrogen atoms. Covalent bonds are stable due to a
combination of attractive and repulsive forces between the protons and electrons of
the atoms engaging in the bond.
We know that there is electrostatic
repulsion between particles that have the same charge sign. There is also electrostatic
attraction between particles that have opposite charges. Covalently bonded atoms end up
being at a stable distance, where the attractive and repulsive electrostatic forces
balance each other out. The protons in the nucleus have a
positive charge. They are attracted to the negative
electrons of the other covalently bonded atoms. Covalent bonding does involve
attraction between the nuclei and electrons. So it is not the correct answer to
this question.
Metallic bonds are formed as the
valence electrons of metal atoms effectively merge and form one sea of negative
electrostatic charge. The metal atoms essentially turn
into positively charged ions and a sea of delocalized electrons, shown in the
figure. Metallic bonds involve the strong
electrostatic attraction between the nuclei of positively charged cations and the
negatively charged electrons. It is not the correct answer to
this question either.
Ionic bonds form from the
electrostatic attraction between positively and negatively charged ions. A transfer of electrons often
occurs. In many cases, metal atoms get an
overall positive charge as they lose electrons. Nonmetals acquire a negative charge
as they gain electrons. The oppositely charged ions are
attracted to each other and form an ionic bond. Many ions bonding together form a
giant ionic lattice. Ionic bonding is due to the
attraction between oppositely charged ions. It does not involve the
electrostatic attraction between positively charged nuclei and negatively charged
electrons.
Therefore, the answer to this
question is the type of chemical bonding called ionic.
