SECONDARY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME GRADE 10 CHEMISTRY - WEEK 6 LESSON 2 - Atomic Structure and Bonding - Formation of Ionic and Covalent Bonds

Oct 29, 2026

Lesson materials for Grade 10 Chemistry focusing on atomic structure and bonding, specifically how ionic and covalent bonds form. It explains electron transfer in ionic bonding between metal and nonmetal atoms, producing oppositely charged ions, and electron sharing in covalent bonding, typically between similar electronegativity atoms. The guide includes instructions for drawing dot-and-cross diagrams and a comparison of ionic versus covalent compound properties, such as polarity, melting/boiling points, and electrical conduction.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

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Atomic Structure and Bonding

Formation of Ionic and Covalent Bonds

Dot-and-Cross Diagrams

Comparison between the properties of ionic and covalent compounds

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION SECONDARY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMME GRADE 10 CHEMISTRY WEEK 6 LESSON 2 Topic: Atomic Structure and Bonding Sub-topic: Formation of Ionic and Covalent Bonds Objectives: After reading and looking at related diagrams students will: 􀁸 explain the formation of ionic and covalent bonds correctly. 􀁸 draw dot and cross diagrams accurately to show ionic and covalent bonding. Content: An ionic bond is formed when valence electrons are transferred from a metal atom to a nonmetal atom. This type of chemical bond generates two oppositely charged ions. In ionic bonding, the metal loses electrons, becoming positively charged, while the nonmetal gains electrons (lost by the metal), becoming positively charged. Therefore, the metal atom is known as an electron donor, and the nonmetal atom is known as the electron acceptor. Atoms that participate in ionic bonding have different electronegative values from each other. A covalent bond is the sharing of electrons between atoms, usually nonmetals, but can also occur between nonmetals and metals. This bond is usually present between two atoms of the same element or elements close to each other in the periodic table. Covalent bonds favor elements with similar electronegativity since neither element would choose to donate their electrons, a sharing of electrons would occur. Dot-and-Cross Diagrams: Show the ionic bonds between ions by the loss and gain of electrons, and, the covalent bonds between atoms, by the sharing of electrons. 􀁸 Only the outer shell of electrons of each atom is drawn 􀁸 Electrons in one atom will be represented as crosses, whilst electrons in the other atom will be represented as circles, indicating which ion gains or loses electrons 􀁸 For ionic bonds, the charge of each ion is displayed at the upper right corner of each ion. 􀁸 For covalent bonds, the lone pairs are indicated, if any. Comparison between the properties of ionic and covalent compounds | Ionic Covalent | | | | --- | --- | --- | | Description | Bond between a metal and nonmetal. The non-metal attracts the electron, so it’s like the metal donates its electron to it. | Bond between two nonmetals with similar electronegativities. Atoms share electrons in their outer orbitals. | | Electronegativity | Large electronegativity difference between participants. | Zero or small electronegativity difference between participants. | | Polarity | High | Low | | Shape | No definite shape | Definite shape | | Melting Point | High | Low | | Boiling Point | High | Low | | State at Room Temperature | Solid | Liquid or Gas | | Conduction | Conducts electricity well when molten. | Do not conduct electricity when molten. | | Examples | Sodium chloride (NaCl), Sulfuric Acid (H2 SO4 ) | Methane (CH4), Hydrochloric acid (HCl) | | Chemical Species | Metal and non-metal (remember hydrogen can act either way) | Two nonmetals | References: [https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zj38scw/revision/6](https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zj38scw/revision/6) [https://www.savemyexams.co.uk/igcse-chemistry-edexcel-new/revision-notes/ionic](https://www.savemyexams.co.uk/igcse-chemistry-edexcel-new/revision-notes/ionic)bonding/ionic-compounds-bonds-structure-properties/ [https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Organic_Chemistry/Supplemental_Modules_](https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Organic_Chemistry/Supplemental_Modules_)(Organic_Chemistry)/Fundamentals/Ionic_and_Covalent_Bonds [https://sciencenotes.org/ionic-vs-covalent](https://sciencenotes.org/ionic-vs-covalent) bonds/\#:~:text=The%20key%20difference%20between%20an,a%20metal%20and%20a%20nonmetal.

FAQs

How does an ionic bond form?

An ionic bond forms when valence electrons are transferred from a metal atom to a nonmetal atom. This creates oppositely charged ions: the metal becomes positively charged after losing electrons, and the nonmetal becomes positively charged after gaining electrons.

How does a covalent bond form?

A covalent bond forms when atoms share electrons, usually between nonmetals. It is favored when the electronegativities are similar so neither atom readily donates electrons on its own.

What are the key differences between ionic and covalent compounds?

Ionic compounds form bonds between a metal and a nonmetal, usually show high polarity, and generally have higher melting/boiling points; they conduct electricity well when molten. Covalent compounds form between nonmetals with similar electronegativities, have low polarity, lower melting/boiling points, and generally do not conduct electricity when molten.

Oct 29, 2026

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