Video Transcript
Which type of bond joins the atoms in hydrocarbon molecules together?
This question is asking us to identify the type of bond that links the atoms of a hydrocarbon. Before we begin to solve the problem, let’s take a look at the displayed formulas of three different hydrocarbons. When looking at the displayed formula of methane, it’s important to notice the lines between the carbon and hydrogen chemical symbols. Each single bond in the molecule represents the sharing of two electrons between two nonmetal atoms. The hydrocarbon ethene also contains some single bonds but what we probably notice most is the double bond between two carbon atoms.
When two lines are drawn to represent a bond, it indicates that four electrons are shared between the atoms. Finally, some hydrocarbons can share six electrons between carbon atoms. When three lines are drawn to represent a bond, it means that six electrons are being shared between the two atoms in the bond. The ethyne molecule also contains two single bonds between carbon and hydrogen atoms. All of the lines drawn in the displayed formulas of these three hydrocarbons represent covalent bonds. Covalent bonds form when two nonmetal atoms share one or more pairs of electrons. Therefore, the type of bond that joins the atoms in hydrocarbon molecules is a covalent bond.
