Chemical Bonding Introduction: Hydrogen Molecule, Covalent Bond & Noble Gases

Chemical bonding introduction video shows how covalent bond means 2 hydrogen atoms can stick together to form a hydrogen molecule, H2. The video also explains why helium cannot form bonds and hence is called a noble gas.

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Atomic School supports the teaching of Atomic Theory to primary school & science students .
We provide lesson plans, hands-on classroom resources, demonstration equipment, quizzes and a Teacher's Manual to primary school teachers. Animated videos that clearly explain the scientific ideas supports learning by both teachers and students. As a teacher, you don't have to look anywhere else to implement this program.

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Atomic Theory underlies all the other sciences- genetics, electronics, nanotechnology, engineering and astronomy- so an early understanding will set them up for a more successful learning sequence for all their science subjects, and support their mastery of mathematics as well. We also have extension programs that cover Biology, Physics and Astronomy to an equal depth.

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Video transcript:
Let's do a thought experiment. Imagine a box filled with hydrogen atoms. Like billiard balls on a pool table, atoms actually move, and they do it in straight lines until they hit something … like another hydrogen atom. Oh! See that? They stuck together. They’re not separate hydrogen atoms any more, but a pair of hydrogen atoms moving together. There goes another pair. 4.1 When atoms join up like this, scientists call it a molecule. And they call the join between them a chemical bond.

Here comes another hydrogen atom crashing into the hydrogen molecule. But this time it doesn’t stick. Instead it just bounces off. Hydrogen atoms bond once, and that’s it. They’re just like that. Pretty quickly all the hydrogen atoms will collide and pair off into molecules. They will keep hitting each other, but they'll just bounce off.

Scientists like to have a shorthand way of writing this molecule thingi. Here’s one way to show it, with the hydrogen symbols joined by a stick to show the chemical bond between the atoms. Another way is to write H2, with the little 2 after the H and a bit lower. A number written this way is called a subscript. What do you think the 2 stands for? It counts the number of hydrogen atoms in the molecule. Easy, heh! So when we have a balloon filled with hydrogen gas, it really contains trillions of trillions of H2 molecules.

Let's do another thought experiment. We'll go back to our box filled with hydrogen atoms, but this time put an oxygen atom in there too. When a hydrogen atom crashes into an oxygen atom, they stick together. But wait, when another hydrogen atom hits, it also sticks to the oxygen. What about a third hydrogen atom? No, that’s if for oxygen. It can only make 2 bonds and then it’s done.

[AnandKumar-tbbi]

How many people from all in one science

[loverlane]

this is the best and simplest way to understand molecules I have ever seen! thank you sooo much!

[anr]

Lovely video! Very simple and to the basics. Great for students who are having issues understanding the fundamentals.

[prakashrana]

wonderfully explained the structure of generation of students is lucky to have all knowledge at their desks.Great

[sidewaysfcs]

the first thing you should ALWAYS cover is stability, stability is the reason why you won't have H4 molecules forming, or why H3+ is very unstable at room temperature, you should always mentions that molecules form because you can have more stable arrangements, and to prove this you should introduce the concept of energy, and how energy is gained or lost in these kinds of processes...

[pakistan]

Thanks amazing video ....i searched all internet but i understood urs only u very much

[johndolan]

Hi, great video, but If Helium is a noble gas on its own, then how does helium 3 form as I thought that was stable too?

[manyamohan]

Thanks for the video this video helped me

[telsport]

A good example of Frank Zappa's "circular motion". Great explanation, seriously.

[LiViro]

What I would like for someone to address is whether or not it takes some energy to bring the two atoms together.
Like, if we put two monatomic hydrogen atoms a meter apart in a perfect vacuum, and moved them very slowly towards each other - would they then jump together like two magnets and make H2? Or does it take some initial energy to pass some sort of "barrier"? (I am aware that when they actually join it *releases* energy)

[henrygagejr.-founderbuildg]

I love this topic and appreciate the graphics. However we too often make confident statements based on a theoretical understanding, which is limited by our perception (language and beliefs). This means if I think an electron (-ve ball?!?) is in an orbit then all kinds of false assumptions can follow.

What are other explanations for how a nucleus can capture an electron and also share an electron with another atom? When I think of an object in orbit, even if the mass is low, how can it so easily change to orbit another nucleus and remain stable? What if electrons are not in orbit? What if it is something else?

[michaelhudetz]

I have scourged the internet and this is by far the simplest and most effective way of teaching this concept. Everywhere else I looked was very vague about how bonds were formed. One question though. If electrons are attracted to protons, why don't they just stick to them?

[jasonbourne]

Covalent bond- up to how many would actually bond?does the nuclear strong force cause it to collapse?

[kabushaha]

Wondrful explainatin and very good effort on the graphics. I just have want to say that it is the orbitals that are full and can not be shared any more. It would be great to show what is Shell, Subshell and Orbital and Spin. Thank you again and such video are woderfull to have on youtube.

[jasonbourne]

covalent bond between two hydrogen molecules-if one of the atoms were missing its electron, would they share the remaining electron between the two atoms or just push each other away?

[Jeavea]

Thank fine it very easy to ARE THE BEST TEACHER

[carlosantuckwell]

But how could BOTH electrons spend most of their time between the two nucleii? Wouldn't they REPEL each other (they are 'like' charges).

[dredrotten]

Electrons dont circle the proton they are a field in themselves around the proton.

[NateDawgg]

That model here is outdated electrons don't travel in circles rather in an electron cloud or a cloud containing the possibility of the electrons. Take a look at Erwin Schrodingers model of the atom also known as the modern model.

[zeroizeable]

Did I miss something? How do I know if an electron shell is full?