Answer: As one atomic dipole nears another atom it will affect the electron density distribution, so for example if the slightly positive end of the atom is located next to another atom, it will attract the electron(s) in the other atom. A covalent bond happens when atoms share an electron between them. The other kind of bond is called ionic, and it happens when one atom gives an electron to another atom. These bonds are held together with electric forces. Two atoms of the same element can be different if their electrons are in different states. If one copper atom has an electron in an excited state and another copper atom has all of its electrons in the ground state, then the two atoms are different.