TOM THE ATOM, BOOK 3

Bonds make a world fond! 

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GOAL: Tom-the-Atom introduces the concept of Covalent Bonds, or “handshakes,”

Covalent Bonds allow atoms to share the outermost shell’s electrons and make molecules that build everything in the Universe.

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Only the outermost shell’s electrons are called valence electrons or “hands.” Each shell can accommodate a maximum number of electrons (usually up to eight). In contrast, the “empty spaces,” if any, in the outermost shell, are called by Tom-the-Atom “empty sleeves.”

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One Covalent Bond is formed when two atoms share one “hand” and one “empty sleeve” simultaneously to produce a firm “handshake.” 

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Tom-the-Atom and his tuples (many identical twins) can create a material from a shiny diamond to a dull graphite piece, just by shaking “hands”!