What type of bond forms when atoms share electrons?

When atoms share electrons, they form a covalent bond. This type of bond occurs primarily between nonmetals, where the sharing of electron pairs allows each atom to attain a stable electronic configuration, typically resembling that of noble gases. The shared electrons contribute to the overall bonding force between the two atoms, resulting in a strong interaction that holds the molecules together.

In contrast, an ionic bond is formed through the transfer of electrons from one atom to another, leading to the attraction between oppositely charged ions. Hydrogen bonds involve a weak attraction between a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a highly electronegative atom and another electronegative atom. Metallic bonds involve a sea of delocalized electrons that are shared among a lattice of metal cations, differing fundamentally from the electron sharing of covalent bonds. Thus, the characteristic of shared electrons specifically defines covalent bonding.