Chemical Bonding — Definition

Definition

Chemical bonding describes the interactions that hold atoms or ions in stable arrangements. Ionic, covalent and metallic descriptions emphasise different electron distributions, while real materials can combine features.

Ionic crystals contain extended arrangements of ions; covalent structures can be discrete molecules or networks. Properties depend on both bonding and structure, including the mobility of charge carriers and the attractions between molecules.

Bond polarity does not alone determine molecular polarity because geometry also matters. Lewis structures and VSEPR help organise introductory explanations, but they are models with limits rather than literal pictures of stationary electrons or universal rules for every compound.