Key Terms Chemical Bonds

binary compound

compound composed of two elements

chemically stable

describes an atom that has a full outermost energy level

nonpolar molecule

molecule made of two identical atoms that share the electrons equally

ion

a charged particle that has either more or fewer electrons than protrons

ionic bond

the force of attraction between the opposite charges of the ions in an ionic compound

polar molecule

molecule that has a slightly positive end and a slightly negative end

oxidation number

number that indicates how many electrons an atom must gain, lose, or share to become stable

chemical formula

shorthand that tells what elements a compound contains and the exact number of atoms of each element in a unit of the compound

covalent bond

the attraction that forms between atoms when they share electrons

hydrate

a compound that has water chemically attached to it

chemical bond

the force that holds atoms together in a compound

polyatomic ion

positively or negatively charged, covalently bonded group of atoms