Educator Guide: Chemical Bond Acts Like a Mash-Up

fluorine atoms bonded to hydrogen atom

Fluorine atoms (illustrated in green) squeeze a hydrogen atom (orange) between them, when dissolved in water (red and silver). Researchers used infrared laser light (red lines) to study the chemical bond that formed (branching blue lines), which acts like a hybrid between a hydrogen bond and a covalent bond.

Designed by Ella Maru studio

About this guide

In this guide, students will learn about recent research findings that challenge long-held ideas about chemical bonding and discuss how to incorporate exceptions to general chemistry concepts into their learning.

This Guide Includes:

Bonds in limbo

Students will answer questions about the online Science News article “This weird chemical bond acts like a mash-up of hydrogen and covalent bonds,” which explores new research that suggests chemical bonds exist on a continuum. A version of the story, “Chemical bond acts like a mash-up,” can be found in the January 30, 2021 issue of Science News.

Accepting the exceptions

Students will discuss the classical definitions of chemical bonds and determine how to adjust those definitions based on new research. Then, students will talk about the best strategies for assessing general chemistry concepts and exceptions to those generalizations.