Stage 9 · Covalent & Metallic Bonding
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Secondary 2 · Science · Chapter 2.4

Why Atoms Bond &
Covalent & Metallic Bonding

Why Atoms Bond · Covalent Bonding · Metallic Bonding
12 questions · self-marked · 13 marks

📺 Watch & Learn first

Stuck? Watch a short video, then come back and try the questions. This sheet is the third part of the bonding sequence — see also Atomic Structure & the Periodic Table and Why Elements React & Ionic Bonding. Together, all three sheets cover the full Unit Test 1 scope (26 August 2026).

FuseSchool · Ionic & Covalent Bonding Animation FuseSchool · Covalent Bonding in a Fluorine Molecule Metallic Bonding Explained · IGCSE & MYP Chemistry BBC Bitesize · KS3 Chemistry More videos →
⚡ Why Atoms Bond 🔗 Covalent Bonding 🌊 Metallic Bonding
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Section A

Why Atoms Bond

Atoms bond because they want a full outer shell, greater stability, and lower energy. They achieve this by sharing, gaining, or losing electrons. There are three main types of chemical bonding: ionic (electrons transferred, covered in the Week 3 sheet), covalent (electrons shared), and metallic (electrons move freely between atoms) — the two new types on this sheet.
Q1
Neon's outer shell is already full. Which statement follows from that?
1 mark
Neon bonds readily, because full shells attract each other
Neon is almost completely unreactive — bonding would gain it nothing
Neon must first lose an electron before it can react
Neon can bond with metals but not with non-metals
Q2
Which of these is not one of the three main types of chemical bonding?
1 mark
Ionic
Covalent
Metallic
Magnetic
Q3
In an ionic bond, what happens to electrons?
1 mark
They are transferred from one atom to another
They are shared between the two atoms
They move freely between many atoms
They are destroyed
Q4
In a covalent bond, what happens to electrons?
1 mark
They are transferred from one atom to another
They move freely between many atoms
They are shared between atoms
They are destroyed
Q5
In a metallic bond, what happens to electrons?
1 mark
They are shared between two atoms only
They move freely between many atoms (a "sea of electrons")
They are transferred from one atom to another
They are destroyed
WHY ATOMS BOND — SECTION SCORE
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🔗
Section B

Covalent Bonding

Covalent bonds usually form between two non-metals. Instead of transferring electrons, the atoms share one or more pairs of electrons so that both achieve a full outer shell. E.g. two fluorine atoms each contribute one electron to a shared pair, forming F2. Water (H2O) has two covalent O–H bonds. In some molecules (e.g. SO2) atoms share two pairs of electrons with each neighbour, forming a double covalent bond.
Two fluorine atoms (2,7) sharing one pair of electrons to form F₂
Neither atom loses or gains electrons — the shared pair counts towards both outer shells at once.
Q6
Covalent bonds typically form between:
1 mark
Two non-metals
Two metals
A metal and a non-metal
Two ions of the same charge
Q7
Each fluorine atom in F2 has 7 outer-shell electrons. How do both atoms achieve a full outer shell?
1 mark
One fluorine atom gives away all 7 electrons
Both atoms gain 8 new electrons from nowhere
The electrons are destroyed and reformed
The two atoms share one pair of electrons between them
Q8
A water molecule (H2O) is held together by covalent bonds. How many covalent bonds does one water molecule contain?
1 mark
1
3
2
4
Q9
In sulfur dioxide (SO2), sulfur forms a double covalent bond with each oxygen atom. What does "double covalent bond" mean?
2 marks
Two separate single bonds joined end to end
The bond is simply twice as long as a normal bond
Two pairs of electrons (4 electrons in total) are shared between the two atoms
Two electrons are transferred instead of shared
COVALENT BONDING — SECTION SCORE
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🌊
Section C

Metallic Bonding

Metallic bonding happens only in metals. The outer-shell electrons are not held by any one atom — they move freely between all the metal atoms, often called a "sea of electrons". This explains why metals are shiny, conduct electricity, and can be bent or shaped without breaking.
A "sea of electrons" (green) moving freely between fixed metal ions (blue)
Q10
Metallic bonding is often described as:
1 mark
A lattice of ions with a single shared pair of electrons
Electrons transferred completely from one metal atom to another
Metal atoms with no electrons at all
A "sea of electrons" moving freely between metal atoms
Q11
Which property of metals is explained by their freely-moving electrons?
1 mark
They conduct electricity
They are usually gases at room temperature
They are the least reactive elements
They have no measurable mass
Q12
Why can most metals be bent or shaped without breaking?
1 mark
Because their electrons are shared in fixed pairs, like in covalent bonds
Because the sea of electrons lets metal ions slide past each other while staying bonded
Because metals contain no protons
Because metallic bonds are broken and reformed every time the metal moves
METALLIC BONDING — SECTION SCORE
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