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Why Atoms Bond
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Worth A Pass·27/28 papers · 6 years
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By the end of this lesson, you'll solve:

"Why does table salt (NaCl) exist, but you never find pure sodium or chlorine just lying around?"

The Quest for Stability

Atoms are like people - they want to be stable and comfortable. Noble gases (Group 18) are the happiest atoms because they have FULL outer shells. Every other atom wants to be like them!

Lewis Dot StructuresNa1 valence e⁻SodiumCl7 valence e⁻ChlorineC4 valence e⁻CarbonO6 valence e⁻OxygenNe8 valence e⁻Neon (full)Dots represent valence (outermost) electrons8 dots = stable octet (like noble gases)

Key Points

  • 1
    Noble gases (He, Ne, Ar) have complete outer shells and are extremely stable
  • 2
    Helium is stable with 2 electrons; others are stable with 8 (OCTET)
  • 3
    The OCTET RULE: Atoms try to have 8 electrons in their outermost shell
  • 4
    They achieve this by gaining, losing, or sharing electrons with other atoms
  • 5
    This gaining/losing/sharing creates CHEMICAL BONDS!

Pro Tip

Think of the octet rule like a dinner table with 8 seats. Atoms want all 8 seats filled - they will invite other atoms to "share" or "donate" electrons to fill those seats!

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