How can you tell the difference between compounds that are ionic and molecular (also known as covalent)? It has to do with the elements that make them up: ionic compounds are made of metals and nonmetals, and molecular (or covalent) compounds are made of nonmetals. We'll learn how they bond differently: in covalent compounds, the atoms share electrons, and in ion compounds, atoms steal electrons and then opposite charges attract. Ionic and molecular (covalent) compounds also look different at the microscopic level: covalent and molecular compounds exist in molecules, while ionic compounds are organized in lattice structures.

We'll learn how to write names for compounds that are made of two nonmetals, sometimes called binary compounds. Binary compounds made of two nonmetals are called covalent or molecular because the elements are held together with covalent bonds, and they make molecules. In order to name them, we use the element name for the first element in the chemical formula, and then we use the -ide name for the second name in the chemical formula. Greek prefixes to show the number of atoms of each element, and these are put in front of the element names.

Lewis diagrams (aka Lewis structures, Lewis dot structures, Lewis dot diagrams) are useful because they use simple drawings to show how atoms share valence electrons in molecules, polyatomic ions, and other covalent structures.

Practice drawing Lewis Structures with answers and explanation. The video covers the basic Lewis structures for a general chemistry class. The five steps are: 1. Find the total valence electrons for the molecule. 2. Put the least electronegative atom in the center. Note: Hydrogen (H) always goes outside. 3. Put two electrons between atoms to form a chemical bond. 4. Complete octets on outside atoms. 5. If central atom does not have an octet, move electrons from outer atoms to form double or triple bonds.

This is an introduction to the basics of VSEPR Theory. VSEPR theory is a set of rules for how to look at a Lewis structure and determine the three dimensional (3D) shape of a molecule. The shapes have to do with the location of bonds and lone electrons pairs. In this video, we'll look at the following shapes: linear, trigonal planar, bent, tetrahedral, and trigonal bipyramidal

Lots and lots of practice problems for VSEPR theory. We will look at how to take a Lewis structure and determine what the 3D shape of the molecule will be. Here are the shapes that we will talk about: tetrahedral, trigonal pyramidal, bent, trigonal planar, linear. We will also talk about angles in degrees: 109.5º, 107º, 105º, 120º, 180º and 116º and amounts that are less.