Question

What is the name of a covalent bond produced by the sharing of three pairs ofvelectrons?

Answer 1

A `"triple bond"`?

Explanation:

The modern covalent bond is conceived to be the sharing of electron density between 2 positively charged atomic nuclei, such that nucleus/nucleus repulsion is negated, and a net attractive force results. Single bonds result from the sharing of 2 electrons; double bonds from the sharing of 4 electrons; and triple bonds results.........etc.

`"Alkynes"`, `RC-=CR'`, `"dinitrogen"`, `N-=N`, and `"carbon monoxide"`, `""^(-)C-=O^+`, all provide examples of such a triple covalent bonds. Shorter internuclear separations can be achieved with multiple bonds, and the `C-C` distance in acetylene is approx. `1.20xx10^(-10)*m`, versus `1.35xx10^(-10)*m` in ethylene, versus `1.54xx10^-10*m` in ethane. (I put some numbers in because as a chemist, as a physical scientist, you should always use data to inform your argument.)

The multiple bonds are conceived to lie outside the `C-C` vector, but nevertheless allow closer approach of the participating nuclei and a stronger bond.