Question

What is the overall term for covalent, ionic and metallic bonds? (for example dipole, hydrogen and london dispersion bonds are called van der waal forces) and also what is the difference between covalent, ionic and metallic bonds and van der waal forces?

covalent, ionic and metallic bonds and van der waal forces are all bonds but how are they different?

Answer 1

There isn't really an overall term for covalent, ionic and metallic bonds.

Explanation:

Dipole interaction, hydrogen bonds and london forces are all describing weak forces of attraction between simple molecules, hence we can group them together and call them either Intermolecular Forces, or some of us might call them Van Der Waals Forces.

I actually have a video lesson comparing different types of intermolecular forces. Do check this out if you are interested.

Metallic bonds is the attraction in metals, between metal cations and sea of delocalised electrons.

Ionic bonds is the electrostatic forces of attraction between oppositely charged ions in ionic compounds.

Covalent bonds is the attraction between the shared pair of electrons and the 2 nuclei that are sharing the electron pair. For giant molecules all the atoms are interconnected via extensive covalent bonds.

So you can see as metallic bonds, ionic bonds and covalent bonds are interactions in different kinds of substances, it is not meaningful to group them together and name it like what we have done for Van Der Waals forces.

Also, because metallic bonds, ionic bonds and covalent bonds are considered as strong, metals, ionic compounds and giant molecules will have very high melting points.

Hope this helps!