Atoms can combine together to form molecules, and chemical bonds are the different forms of attraction between these atoms. The most common forms of chemical bonds are ionic, covalent, and hydrogen bonds. Each chemical bond has its unique attributes that make them strong or weak in a range of situations. Ionic bonds form between ions with opposite charges as electrons are transferred from one atom to another creating a strong bond. An example would a positively charged sodium ion attracted to a negatively charged chloride ion, making sodium chloride. Covalent bonds form between. Non-metal atoms when the electrons in outermost valence shells are shared. They form when hydrogen and chlorine ions combine to form hydrogen chlorideCovalent bonds can be polar or nonpolar. In polar covalent bonds, electrons are unequally shared by the involved atoms, causing slightly positive and slightly negative charges to form in different parts of the molecule. A polar covalent bond example would be the bonding of Hydrogen and oxygen between water molecules. Nonpolar covalent bonds form between two atoms of the same element or atoms that share electrons equally.

Finally, hydrogen bonds occur between a hydrogen atom with a slight positive charge and an electronegative atom of another molecule. Hydrogen bonds are much weaker than ionic or covalent bonds, but become much stronger as many hydrogen bonds form together. Hydrogen bonds give water its unique properties to support life, such as cohesion and adhesion. To summarize, chemical bonds Give atoms the ability to combine into more complicated and diverse structures that make up all known organic and inorganic molecules throughout the cosmos.