Final answer:
Covalent bonds are formed through the sharing of electrons between non-metal atoms, creating molecular compounds. Lewis electron dot diagrams are used to represent these bonds, which can be single, double, or triple, depending on the number of shared electron pairs.
Step-by-step explanation:
A covalent bond is a type of chemical bond characterized by the sharing of electrons between two atoms. These bonds typically form between non-metal atoms. The valence electrons that are shared between atoms in a covalent bond are attracted to the nuclei of both bonded atoms, effectively holding them together and forming a molecule with two or more atoms.
When atoms share one pair of electrons, the bond is called a single covalent bond. However, atoms can also share two pairs (forming a double bond) or three pairs (forming a triple bond) of electrons for stronger bonding. The molecular compounds formed through covalent bonding could be simple molecules like oxygen (O₂) or more complex ones like methane (CH₄). Lewis electron dot diagrams are used to illustrate the formation of these covalent bonds, indicating both bonding pairs (shared electrons) and non-bonding or lone pairs of electrons.