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Chemistry Forums for Students => High School Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: pauljohn on January 29, 2009, 06:09:04 AM

Title: basic bonding question for hydrogen
Post by: pauljohn on January 29, 2009, 06:09:04 AM

hi. i'm paul john.  this is my first time on the forum.  i have a couple of basic questions re hydrogen atoms bonding with other hydrogen atoms;

first of all; have i understood the following correctly;

H (protium, to keep it simple) exists mostly as a diatomic molecule, and these molecules bond covalently (which is the strongest of chemical bonds?  and protium accounts for 99.98% of all the hydrogen in the universe?

and now the question;

once the 2 protium atoms have covalently bonded does this mean that the 1s orbital of both atoms is now full, and therefore 'happy'? 

or, does it mean that the outer electron shells / energy levels of both atoms are full (and therefore happy)?   (and it just so happens that the 1s orbitals are the ones that are filled)?

Title: Re: basic bonding question for hydrogen
Post by: AWK on January 29, 2009, 08:25:36 AM

Quote

once the 2 protium atoms have covalently bonded does this mean that the 1s orbital of both atoms is now full, and therefore 'happy'? 

or, does it mean that the outer electron shells / energy levels of both atoms are full (and therefore happy)?   (and it just so happens that the 1s orbitals are the ones that are filled)?

In the case of hydrogen these two statements mean exactly the same