Bonding describes interactions that bind atoms into molecules or extended structures.
Key knowledge
A chemical bond describes interactions that bind atoms or groups of atoms into a stable entity. The term includes covalent molecular bonds and bonding in ionic crystals; a substance need not consist of separate molecules to be bonded.
Conditions and scope
Bonding descriptions refer to the specified structure and conditions; they do not imply permanent attachment.
The cited IUPAC definition is the explicitly identified archived Gold Book version 2.3.3.
Sources · 3
References
Sources retain their recorded scope. A source link alone does not establish verification of every statement.
IUPAC's definition and its molecular and ionic-crystal examples; not a quantitative bond-energy calculation.
2026-10-10 · English scope checked against the complete archived CT07009 entry. The current Gold Book endpoint was retrieval-limited.
Foundational review
2026-10-10 · Fresh primary-source inspection of the complete compact record, including every statement, equation, quantity and material condition, followed by independent AI editorial review. This check does not certify all linked lessons or every passage of every cited publication.
Sources from other places
Scope or convention differs
Shared-electron bonding and opposite-ion interactions in extended crystals.
An ionic lattice need not consist of discrete molecules.
For a molecular Lewis diagram, total the atoms' valence electrons, adding electrons for negative charge and subtracting them for positive charge. A bond line represents a shared electron pair; dots can represent lone pairs. Place these electrons on a proposed atom connectivity and check the total charge and electron count. Hydrogen commonly has a duet, and many main-group centers an octet; odd-electron, electron-deficient and hypervalent species require exceptions.
Shared electron-pair symbols describe a bounded localized representation of covalent bonding.