A type of strong chemical bond in which two atoms share one or more pairs of valence electrons.

• A. Ionic Bond
• B. Hydrogen Bond
• C. Covalent Bond
• D. Chemical Bond

Answer: (C)

Sharing valence electrons to fill outer electron shells creates a covalent bond, the strong link formed when two atoms overlap their outer-shell orbitals and pair up one or more electrons. This sharing lets each atom achieve a more stable electron configuration, and the bond can be single, double, or triple depending on how many electron pairs are shared. Covalent bonds typically form between nonmetal atoms with similar electronegativity, producing molecules such as H2, O2, and CH4. This differs from ionic bonds, which come from transferring electrons to form oppositely charged ions held together by electrostatic attraction, and from hydrogen bonds, which are weaker attractions between molecules or parts of molecules. The broad term chemical bond includes all these types, but the description here specifically points to covalent bonding.