The octet rule in covalent bonding is

JAMB Chemistry 2023 78 views

The octet rule in covalent bonding is

  1. the tendency of elements to lose electrons and form cations.
  2. the tendency of elements to gain electrons and form anions.
  3. the tendency of elements to share electrons and achieve a stable electron configuration with eight valence electrons. ✓
  4. the tendency of metals to form ionic bonds with nonmetals.

Explanation

The octet rule states that atoms are most stable when their outer shell contains eight electrons. Atoms share electrons through covalent bonds to achieve this stable configuration.

Noble gases naturally have eight outer electrons and are very stable. Other elements share electrons with each other to mimic this stable arrangement.

For example, two hydrogen atoms share electrons to form H₂, and oxygen shares electrons with carbon in CO₂. Sharing allows multiple atoms to satisfy the octet rule simultaneously.

pastquestions.ng