CHEMICAL BONDING AND COMPOUND

FORMATION
One of the most important requirements in chemistry is to become familiar with the
ways in which elements react to form compounds. We will investigate the types of
chemical bonds, ways to predict compositions and the conventions of naming the
compounds.
Chemical bonds make atoms more stable than they are if non-bonded
Bond formation involves changes in the electrons on two atoms
This is achieved by one of two methods
Electron transfer
Electron sharing
Electron transfer involves creation of ions, which bond via ionic bonds to form ionic
compounds. A Familiar compound like table salt, sodium chloride, is a classic
example of an ionic compound.
The documents called Type 1 Compounds and Type 2 Compounds give information
on predicting composition and naming of ionic compounds [1]
Electron sharing involves the sharing of electrons between two atoms and the creation
of covalent bonds. Covalently bonded compounds typically have very different
properties from ionic compounds, and they also involve combinations of different
types of elements.
The document called Type 3 Compounds gives information of the naming of covalent
compounds.[2]
Although there are many elements and even more compounds to consider, familiarity
with a few rules will greatly simplify the process of becoming conversant with
determining compositions of compounds.
The octet rule

It is well known that the elements in group 8, the noble gases, are
extremely unreactive. Examination of the electronic structures of these elements
shows that the outer shells are full of electrons; they do not lack for electrons to fill
the shells. None of the other elements has a filled outer shell.
The inference we draw from this is that the atom wants to obtain a filled shell, and this
it achieves by forming bonds. This can be done by either addition of electrons or
removal of electrons. The noble gas atom already has a filled shell and does not need
to indulge in bonding to achieve it.

Elements on the left side of the table, metals, will lose electrons to form positive ions;
elements on the right hand side of the table, non-metals, will gain electrons. In both
cases, a filled shell will result.
Of course, we must recognize that the atom is now charged because the electron and
proton counts are not equal. Electron loss creates positive ions, and electron gain
creates negative ions.
In an ionic compound, a positive ion and a negative ion come together and form an
ionic bond through the strong electrostatic interaction between the ions of opposing
charge.