As two hydrogen atoms approach each other and the distance between the two nuclei decreases, the electron clouds begin to overlap, leading to the formation of a covalent bond.
As two hydrogen atoms approach each other, the electron clouds surrounding their respective nuclei start to interact. Initially, the electrons in each atom are attracted to both nuclei, and as the distance between the nuclei decreases, the attractive forces intensify. This results in the overlapping of the electron clouds, leading to the formation of a molecular orbital that is shared between the two atoms.
The shared electrons create a covalent bond, a strong attractive force that holds the two hydrogen atoms together in a molecule. The process of electron cloud overlap and covalent bond formation is fundamental to the creation of molecules in chemistry, and it plays a crucial role in the formation of various compounds.