Bond Valences in Education

Abstract

The bond valence theory’s simplicity, its rigor, and predictive power make it ideally suited for introducing the concept of the chemical bond in introductory courses. This chapter suggests how the theory might be presented in a classroom. It starts with a critique of the bond models currently used and then shows how different aspects of the theory might be introduced, beginning with the simple exercise of plotting the lines of field for an array of charges like those found in the ionic model. The generation of stable bonds using the valence matching rule leads naturally to a discussion of bonding geometry and the influence of lone pairs. Deriving the classic ball-and-stick model from bond valence theory gives an opportunity to discuss how one might define a covalent bond if this were thought to be useful. The chapter ends showing how the theory can be applied to aspects of chemical reactivity.