What term describes a chemical bond formed when two elements share valence electrons?

• A. Valence electrons
• B. Covalent
• C. Octet rule
• D. Metalloids

Answer: (B)

Sharing valence electrons creates a covalent bond. This occurs when two atoms, typically nonmetals with similar electronegativities, pool one or more pairs of electrons so each atom can count those electrons toward achieving a more stable, often noble-gas-like, outer shell. Bonds can be single, double, or triple depending on how many electron pairs are shared, leading to a range of bond strengths and lengths. If the electronegativity difference is very small, the share is relatively even (nonpolar covalent); with a bigger difference, the bond becomes polar covalent as electron density shifts toward the more electronegative atom. Valence electrons are the outer-shell electrons involved in bonding, and the octet rule describes the tendency of atoms to seek eight electrons in their valence shell but doesn’t name the bond type itself. Metalloids refer to a category of elements, not a type of bond.