What type of chemical bond involves sharing a pair of electrons between atoms?

• A. Ionic Bond
• B. Hydrogen Bond
• C. Covalent Bond
• D. Metallic Bond

Answer: (C)

Sharing a pair of electrons between atoms occurs in covalent bonds. This happens when atoms have similar or moderately different electronegativities and both want electrons to complete their outer shells, so they share one or more electron pairs rather than transferring them. A classic example is the H2 molecule, where two hydrogen atoms each contribute one electron and share them to form a stable bond.

In contrast, ionic bonds form through transfer of electrons, creating charged ions that attract each other. Hydrogen bonds are not actual bonds between atoms sharing electrons; they are intermolecular attractions involving a hydrogen atom bonded to a highly electronegative atom and another electronegative atom nearby. Metallic bonding involves a lattice of positively charged ions surrounded by a "sea" of delocalized electrons, not sharing electron pairs between specific atoms.