covalence

1 8.8

The number of other atoms an atom can share electrons with to make bonds

noun
/koʊˈveɪləns/

Specialized

: covalencia

In water, the covalence of oxygen is two, matching its number of shared electron pairs.

Examples

The covalence of an atom determines how many chemical bonds it can form.
The covalence of carbon is four.
Carbon has a covalence of four, allowing it to form complex organic molecules.
Higher covalence leads to more complex molecules.
In chemistry, covalence is the term used to describe the number of electron pairs an atom can share with others.
The covalence of carbon allows it to form four bonds with different elements, making it a versatile building block in organic chemistry.
When examining molecules, understanding covalence helps predict how atoms interact and bond with each other.

Synonyms

valence

vscovalence

Specialized

1 8.9

The number of chemical bonds an atom can form

focuses on electron pair sharing rather than hydrogen equivalents

valency

vscovalence

1 9.5

The number of bonds an atom can form with other atoms

focuses on electron pair sharing rather than general bond count

covalency

vscovalence

Specialized

8.2

The number of other atoms an atom shares electrons with

has identical meaning but uses a different written form

Surface Forms

covalence singular

covalences plural

Morphology

covalence = valence (semi-transparent) = co + valence

The morphological building is clear (co- + valence), but the precise meaning is technical (chemistry) and requires subject knowledge beyond simple compounding.

Etymology

Covalence comes from co- meaning 'together' and valence from a word meaning 'strength' or 'power', the same root behind valid. So covalence is an atom's 'together-strength', meaning how many bonds it can form with other atoms.