How do covalent bonds work?

Firstly, let's define a covalent bond as being a shared pair of electrons, between two positively charged nuclei, with one being donated from each ion/atom. Let's note that an electron has a negative charge, and the nucleus will have a positive charge (from the protons). Positive and negative charges attract (like when you rub a balloon on your jumper, and it sticks to each other), so the electrons are attracted to the nuclei. When the electrons are in between the nuclei, they are both simultaneously attracted to both nuclei, and the nuclei are both attracted to the electrons, because of their electrostatic charges.
You may also wonder why the electron's don't repel from each other - they do, but the force of attraction between the opposite nucleus tends to be larger. There is another reason, called spin coupling, however you don't need to know that for GCSE. However, if you are interested, I can explain it to you.

JW
Answered by Jack W. Chemistry tutor

2908 Views

See similar Chemistry GCSE tutors

Related Chemistry GCSE answers

All answers ▸

How do I balance C4H8 + O2 --> CO2 + H2O?


Describe what happens when two atoms of potassium react with one atom of sulfur giving your answer in terms of electrons.


What is a mole


What is an isotope?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning