Final answer:
A hydrogen atom bonds with a chlorine atom to form hydrogen chloride (HCl) through a polar covalent bond, where each atom achieves a stable electron configuration. The correct answer is C. Covalent bond; stable octet of electrons.
Step-by-step explanation:
When an atom of hydrogen (H) bonds with an atom of chlorine (Cl) to create hydrogen chloride (HCl), a polar covalent bond is formed. This is because hydrogen, with one valence electron, shares its electron with chlorine, which has seven valence electrons and needs one more to complete its octet. This sharing of electrons results in each atom achieving a stable electron configuration; hydrogen attains the duet rule, similar to the electron configuration of helium, and chlorine achieves a stable octet. The correct answer to the question is C. Covalent bond; stable octet of electrons.
Chemical reactions and bonds occur as atoms seek to fill their outer electron shells. A covalent bond involves the sharing of electrons between two atoms. In the case of HCl, hydrogen and chlorine share one pair of electrons, which forms a single covalent bond and makes both atoms more stable. Ionic bonds, on the other hand, involve the transfer of electrons from one atom to another, which doesn't occur in the formation of HCl.