What type of bond is characterized by the sharing of electron pairs between atoms?

A bond characterized by the sharing of electron pairs between atoms is known as a covalent bond. In covalent bonding, atoms achieve greater stability by sharing one or more pairs of electrons, allowing them to fill their outer electron shells. This shared electron pair holds the atoms together, forming a stable molecule.

Covalent bonds can vary in strength and polarity, depending on the elements involved and their electronegativity. For instance, when two nonmetals bond, they typically form covalent bonds, which can be either single, double, or triple, depending on how many pairs of electrons are shared.

This property distinguishes covalent bonds from ionic bonds, where electrons are transferred rather than shared, leading to the formation of charged ions. Additionally, metallic bonds involve the pooling of electrons among a lattice of metal atoms, while hydrogen bonds are relatively weak attractions between a hydrogen atom bonded to an electronegative atom and another electronegative atom.