Chemical bonding

• Are Sulfate Bonds Nonpolar Covalent or Ionic?
  Sulfate is a 2− polyatomic ion with polar covalent sulfur–oxygen bonds; ionic attraction occurs between sulfate and counterions in salts.
• Can Metals Form Covalent Bonds?
  Metals can form covalent bonds with nonmetals and other metals; learn how these differ from ionic, coordinate, and metallic bonding.
• What Is Lattice Energy in Ionic Compounds?
  Lattice energy measures the enthalpy change associated with forming an ionic solid from gaseous ions; its sign depends on the stated convention.
• What Is the Hybridization of XeF6 in the Solid State?
  The conventional local model assigns XeF6 sp3d3 from six Xe–F bonds and one lone pair, but crystal contacts make a unique solid-state hybridization misleading.
• How to Read the Potential Energy Graph of the Hydrogen Molecule
  The H₂ potential energy curve explained. The minimum marks the 74 pm bond length, its depth the bond energy, and repulsion dominates at short range.