Covalent bonds and ionic bonds are two important types of chemical bonds. They are found in molecular compounds and work in different ways.

Covalent Bonds:

• Covalent bonds happen when two atoms share electrons.
• These bonds are common among non-metals.
• They can be:
  • Single: one pair of electrons is shared.
  • Double: two pairs of electrons are shared.
  • Triple: three pairs of electrons are shared.
  Here are some examples:
  • Water (H₂O) has single bonds.
  • Oxygen (O₂) has a double bond.
  • Nitrogen (N₂) has a triple bond.

Ionic Bonds:

• Ionic bonds happen when one atom gives away electrons to another atom. This creates charged particles called ions.

• These bonds usually form between metals and non-metals.

• Ionic bonds are very strong because positive and negative ions attract each other.

  For example:

  • Sodium chloride (NaCl) has an ionic bond between sodium (Na⁺) and chloride (Cl⁻).

In short, covalent bonds involve sharing electrons and are found in molecules. On the other hand, ionic bonds involve transferring electrons and lead to the formation of compounds with ionic structures.