Give it away, take it, or share it — that is all bonding is
Noble gases already have a full shell, so they do not bond
✅ Don'T Mix Up
Hydrogen bond = weak attraction BETWEEN molecules, not a real bond
It is why water has high surface tension and ice floats
📚 Bonding Cheat Sheet — full study notes
The cheat sheet above is your quick recall card. These notes go deeper — what it is, what to do first, what must be reported, and what to teach.
Bonding questions reduce to a single decision: were the electrons GIVEN AWAY or SHARED? Everything else — which elements, what the result is called, whether it dissolves in water — follows from that.
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Key points
Understand these first
An IONIC bond transfers an electron: one atom becomes positive, the other negative, and the opposite charges attract. Typically a metal plus a non-metal (NaCl).
A COVALENT bond shares electrons between atoms. Typically two non-metals (H₂O, CO₂).
Ionic compounds generally dissolve in water and conduct electricity in solution; covalent ones generally do not.
An atom is most stable with a full outer (valence) shell — that is WHY bonds form at all.
A hydrogen bond is a weak attraction BETWEEN molecules, not a true bond within one — it is what gives water its properties.
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Study first
Where to start
Sodium has one outer electron and chlorine needs one. Sodium gives it away: Na⁺ and Cl⁻ attract as an ionic bond.
Two hydrogen atoms each need one more electron and neither will give one up, so they share a pair — a covalent bond.
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Red flags — report now
Escalate immediately
Calling every bond 'ionic' because the word is more familiar. Check the elements: two non-metals cannot form an ionic bond.
Treating hydrogen bonds as ordinary chemical bonds; they are much weaker and act between molecules.
Forgetting that the driving force is a full valence shell, which makes the whole topic feel like memorization.
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Commonly tested
What comes up most
One question decides it: is a metal involved? Metal + non-metal → ionic. Non-metal + non-metal → covalent.
Draw both pictures once — an arrow for transfer, a shared dot pair for sharing. The pictures are the whole topic.
❓ Bonding Cheat Sheet: TEAS & HESI FAQs
What should I focus on first when studying Bonding Cheat Sheet?
Sodium has one outer electron and chlorine needs one. Sodium gives it away: Na⁺ and Cl⁻ attract as an ionic bond. Two hydrogen atoms each need one more electron and neither will give one up, so they share a pair — a covalent bond.
What are the warning signs of Bonding Cheat Sheet a nurse must report?
Calling every bond 'ionic' because the word is more familiar. Check the elements: two non-metals cannot form an ionic bond. Treating hydrogen bonds as ordinary chemical bonds; they are much weaker and act between molecules. Forgetting that the driving force is a full valence shell, which makes the whole topic feel like memorization.
What do I need to know about Bonding Cheat Sheet for the TEAS or HESI?
An IONIC bond transfers an electron: one atom becomes positive, the other negative, and the opposite charges attract. Typically a metal plus a non-metal (NaCl). A COVALENT bond shares electrons between atoms. Typically two non-metals (H₂O, CO₂). Ionic compounds generally dissolve in water and conduct electricity in solution; covalent ones generally do not. An atom is most stable with a full outer (valence) shell — that is WHY bonds form at all.
What are the most commonly tested points on Bonding Cheat Sheet?
One question decides it: is a metal involved? Metal + non-metal → ionic. Non-metal + non-metal → covalent. Draw both pictures once — an arrow for transfer, a shared dot pair for sharing. The pictures are the whole topic.
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Quick Tip
An IONIC bond transfers an electron: one atom becomes positive, the other negative, and the opposite charges attract. Typically a metal plus a non-metal (NaCl).