Episode Details

While covalent compounds, also called molecular compounds, only consist of the 16 nonmetals you see on the right side of the periodic table, they make up the most diverse and flexible types of interactions. You first learned about molecular compounds along with ionic compounds in Lesson 3. In that same lesson, you learned more about the ionic bonds that develop when electrons are transferred between elements. Now in Lesson 4, you will focus on molecular bonds and the compounds they form. You will learn the role that shape plays in determining the chemical and physically properties of molecules and the compounds they form, why they are so flexible in their interactions, and how we are striving to manipulate the properties of these compounds to improve our lives—both inside and outside our bodies.