Valence Electron

An electron that is located in the outermost occupied shell, can participate in chemical bonding.

Valence Shell

Outermost occupied shell of an atom.

Electron-dot Structure

Shorthand notation of the shell model of the atom in which valence electrons are shown around an atomic symbol.

Non-bonding Pair

Two paired valence electrons that don't participate in a chemical bond, yet influence shape of molecule.

Ion

An electrically charged particle created when an atom either looses or gains one or more electrons.

Polyatomic Ion

An ionically charged molecule.

Ionic Bond

A chemical bond in which an attractive electric force holds ions of opposite charge together.

Ionic Compound

Any chemical compound containing ions.

Covalent Bond

A chemical bond in which atoms are held together by their mutual attraction for two electrons they share.

Covalent Compound

An element or chemical compound in which atoms are held together by covalent bonds.

Molecule

A group of atoms held tightly together by covalent bonds.

Valence-Shell Electron-pair Repulsion

A model that explains molecular geometries in terms of electron pairs striving to be as far apart from one another as possible.

Substituent

An atom or non-bonding pair of electrons surrounding a central atom.

Dipole

A separation of charge that occurs in a chemical bond because of differences in the electronegativities of the bonded atoms.

Electronegativity

The ability of an atom to attract a bonding pair of electrons to itself when bonded to another atom.

Non-polar Bond

A chemical bond that has no dipole.

Polar Bond

A chemical bond that has a dipole.