What are Chemical Bonds?
Chemical bonds are atoms that are held together within molecules or crystals. Chemical bonds form as the result of atoms sharing electrons. They also form from the complete transfer of electrons. The three main types of chemical bonds are ionic, covalent, and polar covalent. Hydrogen bonds are often included under the heading of chemical bonds as well. Ionic bonds are chemical bonds that are developed from reactions of low electronegativity elements with those that are high electronegativity. In such cases, a complete transfer of electrons takes place. An example of an ionic bond is regular table salt, referred to scientifically as sodium chloride. In forming this chemical bond, sodium transfers its outer shell electron to chlorine. Sodium has just one outer shell electron and chlorine requires just one for its shell. Covalent chemical bonds are a bit different and usually form between atoms that lack completely filled outer shells. In covalent bonds, electrons are shared fully. These
