Question

What best explains whether bromine (Br) or neon (Ne) is more likely to form a covalent bond? On left, a purple circle labeled Br surrounded by 4 concentric circles. The inner circle has 2 small green spheres. The second circle has 8 small green spheres. The third circle has 18 small green spheres. The fourth circle has 5 small green spheres. On right, a purple circle labeled Ne surrounded by 3 concentric circles. The inner circle has 2 small green spheres. The middle circle has 8 small green spheres. The outer circle has 8 small green spheres. Bromine forms covalent bonds because it has seven valence electrons, but neon has eight valence electrons and already fulfills the octet rule. Bromine forms covalent bonds because it has many electron shells, but neon has only two electron shells and is tightly bound to its electrons. Neon forms covalent bonds because it can share its valence electrons, but bromine has seven valence electrons and can gain only one more electron. Neon forms covalent bonds because it has only two electron shells, but bromine has many electron shells and will lose electrons in order to fulfill the octet rule.

Answer 1

Bromine is more likely to form a covalent bond than neon because it has seven valence electrons and needs one more to fulfill the octet rule, whereas neon already has a full valence shell and is stable.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct explanation for why bromine (Br) is more likely to form a covalent bond than neon (Ne) is that bromine has seven valence electrons and needs one more electron to complete its valence shell and fulfill the octet rule. Neon, on the other hand, has a full valence shell with eight valence electrons, giving it a stable noble gas electron configuration and making it much less likely to form covalent bonds. Atoms seek to complete their valence shell to imitate the electron configuration of the noble gases which are the most stable. While bromine, being a halogen, readily forms covalent bonds to achieve this, neon is already in a stable state and does not need to form bonds.

Answer 2

I believe the answer is Bromine forms covalent bonds because it has many electron shells, but neon has only two electron shells and is tightly bound to its electrons.

Step-by-step explanation:

valence electrons are the outermost shell, so when you go through keeping that in mind it helps you find the right answer