bonding electron
nounUK /ˈbɒndɪŋ ɪˈlɛktrɒn/
US /ˈbɑːndɪŋ ɪˈlɛktrɑːn/
A bonding electron is an electron that helps two atoms stick together.
In a water molecule, the bonding electrons are shared between oxygen and hydrogen.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. An electron that occupies a molecular orbital formed by the overlap of atomic orbitals.
The bonding electron density is concentrated between the two nuclei.
3. An electron whose participation in a bond lowers the overall energy of the molecule.
Removing a bonding electron weakens the bond and raises the energy.
4. In Lewis structures, an electron drawn as part of a line or pair connecting two atoms.
Each line in the Lewis structure represents two bonding electrons.