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Bond Lab Give electrons away or share them, and see what forms
About this activityChemistry and Physical Science · Grades 8–12 · About 45 minutes

Learning outcomes

Students will be able to:

  • Predict the charge of the ion an element forms from its number of valence electrons.
  • Model ionic bonding as a transfer of electrons from a metal to a nonmetal, and write the formula and name of the compound.
  • Model covalent bonding as shared electron pairs, including single, double, and triple bonds and lone pairs.
  • Classify a compound as ionic or covalent from the types of elements it contains.

Standards alignment

  • HS-PS1-1 NGSS: Use the periodic table to predict the properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in their outermost energy level.
  • HS-PS1-2 NGSS: Explain the outcome of simple chemical reactions based on the outermost electron states of atoms.
  • MS-PS1-1 NGSS (supports): Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules.

Includes

Four stages: ions, ionic bonds (9 compounds, including challenges like Mg₃N₂ and Al₂O₃), covalent bonds (9 molecules, from H₂ to HCN), and an ionic-or-covalent sorting challenge; and a printable lab worksheet. A teacher answer key is available from Logical Home Schooling.

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