Final answer:
Water molecules provide an example of covalent bonding, where hydrogen and oxygen atoms combine to form a stable structure. The electrons from the hydrogen atoms are shared with the oxygen atom to fill its outer shell, resulting in a water molecule (H₂O). This covalent bond forms because both elements become more stable by filling their outer shells.
Step-by-step explanation:
The formation of water molecules provides an example of covalent bonding. Covalent bonds bind the hydrogen and oxygen atoms that combine to form water molecules as Figure 2.9 shows. The electron from the hydrogen splits its time between the hydrogen atoms' incomplete outer shell and the oxygen atoms' incomplete outer shell.
To completely fill the oxygen's outer shell, which has six electrons but which would be more stable with eight, two electrons (one from each hydrogen atom) are needed: hence, the well-known formula H₂O. The two elements share the electrons to fill the outer shell of each, making both elements more stable.