how do atoms in covalent bonds become slightly negative or slightly positive?

Answer 1

assistance needed

Answer 2

Well I took chem last year...

Basically, when two atoms share electrons, they become covalent. However, if one of the atoms is bigger than the other (and has more positive ions), the electrons will be more attracted to that nucleus. It sort of relates to an ionic bond but it's less extreme - one ion completely STEALS the electrons from the other, whereas with a covalent bond, the two protons stick together and make a single molecule.

i googled your question and it was on the first one

it was from nekochan52 :)

Answer 3

Let me go into a little more detail. I don't know where you are in chemistry. Have you studied about electronegativity? The electronegativity (EN)of an atom is its ability to attract electrons. Atoms with a high EN attract electrons very well (as with fluorine with EN=4.0, chlorine with EN = 3.0 etc) and those with a low EN attract electrons poorly (Na is about 0.9). At any rate, when a covalent bond forms, the atoms share electrons. If the atoms are the same, the two atoms share the electrons equally. If, however, the atoms are different, they don't share electrons equally. For example, HCl shares the two electrons that make up the bond between H-Cl BUT the Cl has an EN of about 3.0 whereas H has an EN of about 2.1; therefore, the Cl pulls the electrons a little closer so that the Cl atoms becomes just slightly negative and that makes the H atom just slightly positive. This is still a covalent bond since the electrons didn't completely move to the Cl and the H atom didn't lose it's lone electron. So it is a covalent bond BUT it is what we call a polar covalent bond. The short answer to your question is "because of the difference of electronegativity between the two atoms making up the bond."

Answer 4

it has covalant bondings.