Question

In drawing Lewis structures, why does a hydrogen atom form only one bond in a covalent compound?

a. Hydrogen has a single electron.
b. Hydrogen has a small atomic size.
c. Hydrogen has a high electronegativity.
d. Hydrogen forms only ionic bonds.

Answer 1

A hydrogen atom forms only one bond in a covalent compound because it has a single electron in its valence shell.

Step-by-step explanation:

In drawing Lewis structures, a hydrogen atom forms only one bond in a covalent compound because it has a single electron in its valence shell.

Each hydrogen atom can share its single electron with another atom to form a single covalent bond.

This allows hydrogen to achieve a stable electron configuration, similar to the noble gas helium.

For example, in a hydrogen molecule (H2), two hydrogen atoms share their electrons to form a covalent bond:

H + H → H-H