Final answer:
A covalent chemical bond involves the sharing of outer-shell electrons between two atoms to fill their outer electron shells, providing stability akin to noble gases. Nonpolar covalent bonds share electrons equally, while polar covalent bonds share them unequally.
Step-by-step explanation:
A covalent chemical bond is one in which outer-shell electrons are shared by two atoms so as to satisfactorily fill the outer electron shells of both. This sharing of electrons means that they occupy a region of space between the two nuclei and are mutually attracted, forming a molecule consisting of two or more atoms. Through this process, each atom achieves greater stability by fulfilling its valence shell requirements, which means reaching an outer energy level comparable to noble gases.
For example, in a molecule of hydrogen gas (Hâ‚‚), two hydrogen atoms share their single electrons to form a single covalent bond, resulting in each hydrogen having two electrons in its valence shell. Nonpolar covalent bonds occur when electrons are shared equally between two atoms, while polar covalent bonds result when electrons are shared unequally due to differences in electronegativity.