Atomic Structure and Chemical Bonding — Question 8
Back to all questionsCovalent bonding
Reason — The valency of hydrogen element is 1 and that of oxygen is 2. Hydrogen needs one electrons to attain stable duplet structure of nearest noble gas - He [2] and oxygen needs two electrons to attain stable octet structure of nearest noble gas - Ne [2,8]
Each of the two hydrogen atoms shares an electron pair with the oxygen atom such that hydrogen acquires a duplet configuration and oxygen an octet configuration resulting in the formation of two single covalent bonds [H-O-H] in the molecule of water.

(ii) Electrovalent bonding
Reason — The valency of calcium (2,8,8,2) element and that of oxygen (2,6) is 2. Calcium donates two electrons and oxygen takes up those two electrons and electrovalent bond is formed.
(iii) Polar covalent bonding Reason — In hydrogen chloride, the strong nuclear charge of the chlorine atom attracts the shared electron pair towards itself, i.e., negative charge shifts towards the chlorine atom thereby developing a slight negative charge on it. The hydrogen atom develops a slight positive charge. Therefore, a polar covalent bond is formed as shown below :
