In this deck, we'll explore the fascinating world of chemical bonding. You'll learn about the three main types: ionic, covalent, and metallic. We'll discover how atoms join together by transferring, sharing, or delocalising their electrons. Understanding bonding is the key to explaining why different substances have such different properties. By the end, you'll be able to explain how each type of bond forms and how to represent them.

So, why do atoms form chemical bonds in the first place? It's all about stability. As you learned in the topic on atomic structure, atoms are most stable when they have a full outer shell of electrons, just like the noble gases in Group 0 of the periodic table. To achieve this, atoms will either lose, gain, or share electrons with other atoms. This process of rearranging electrons is what creates a chemical bond.

Let's start with ionic bonding. This type of bonding happens between a metal and a non-metal. Metals, which are on the left side of the periodic table, have only a few electrons in their outer shell. It's easiest for them to lose these electrons to get a full outer shell. Non-metals, on the right side, have outer shells that are nearly full. It's easiest for them to gain electrons to complete their shell. Ionic bonding is all about the transfer of electrons from a metal to a non-metal.