Final answer:
Bonding electron pairs are involved in the formation of covalent bonds, with each atom contributing one electron to the pair. Non-bonding or lone pairs of electrons are not involved in bonding and do not contribute to shared electron pairs. Multiple covalent bonds occur when atoms share more than one pair of electrons to form double or triple bonds.
Step-by-step explanation:
Differences between bonding and non-bonding electron pairs in molecules are based on their role in the molecular structure. A covalent bond is formed by the sharing of valence electrons between atoms. In a single covalent bond, one electron pair is shared between two atoms, resulting in each atom contributing one electron to the shared pair. For example, in a hydrogen molecule (H-H), two hydrogen atoms share their electrons to fill their outer shells, stabilizing both atoms.
In contrast to bonding pairs, there are also non-bonding or lone pairs of electrons. These are valence electrons on an atom that do not participate in bonding and do not contribute to the shared electron pair in a covalent bond. For instance, the fluorine diatomic molecule (F2) has each fluorine atom sharing one bonding electron pair to create the covalent bond, while also possessing three lone pairs of electrons that are not involved in the bonding process.
Molecules can also exhibit multiple covalent bonds, where more than one pair of electrons are shared between two atoms. For example, a double bond involves the sharing of two electron pairs, while a triple bond shares three electron pairs. The shared pairs are referred to as bonding pairs, whereas any additional pairs on the atoms that are not shared are called lone pairs or non-bonding pairs of electrons.