Source: WGBH Educational Foundation In this interactive activity
developed for Teachers' Domain, learn about chemical bonding.
Click on the tabs to see animations of how pairs of elements in
the periodic table bond together. Learn about the role of
valence shell electrons and attractive forces in three types of
chemical bonds: covalent, ionic, and metallic. Atoms can join
together with chemical bonds to form molecules. Molecules
composed of two or more different elements are known as
compounds. Properties of the resulting compound, such as melting
point and electrical conductivity, depend on the attractive
forces between the atoms and the resulting bonds that form.
According to the atomic model, electrons orbit the nucleus at
specific energy levels, or shells. Electrons in the outermost
shell, known as valence electrons, are involved in chemical
bonding. Atoms are more stable when their outer shell is filled;
they therefore tend to lose, gain, or share electrons to
complete their outer shells. Three common ty