What type of chemical bond is formed when an atom of chlorine and an atom of hydrogen combine to form a molecule of hydrogen chloride (HCl)?

• A. A metallic bond is formed between hydrogen and chlorine atoms.
• B. An ionic bond is formed by complete transfer of an electron from hydrogen to chlorine.
• C. A covalent bond is formed by sharing an electron pair between hydrogen and chlorine.
• D. No chemical bond is formed; the atoms remain separate.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the types of atoms involved: hydrogen (H) and chlorine (Cl) are both nonmetals.
2. Recall that metallic bonds typically occur between metal atoms, so a metallic bond is unlikely here.
3. Consider ionic bonding, which involves the complete transfer of electrons from a metal to a nonmetal; since hydrogen is a nonmetal and chlorine is also a nonmetal, ionic bonding is less likely.
4. Understand that covalent bonds form when atoms share electron pairs to achieve stable electron configurations, which is common between nonmetal atoms like H and Cl.
5. Conclude that the bond in HCl is a covalent bond formed by sharing one pair of electrons between hydrogen and chlorine atoms.