What type of bond includes the sharing of electrons between nonmetal atoms?

A covalent bond is formed when two nonmetal atoms share electrons. This type of bonding occurs because nonmetals have relatively high electronegativities, which means they attract electrons strongly. By sharing electrons, they can achieve greater stability and reach a complete outer electron shell, often referred to as the octet rule. This mutual sharing allows the atoms to hold together more effectively than they would if merely relying on other forces.

In contrast, metallic bonds involve a 'sea of electrons' that are not localized between individual atoms, making them different in nature since they typically occur in metals. Ionic bonds occur between metals and nonmetals, where one atom donates an electron to another, forming oppositely charged ions that attract each other. Hydrogen bonds are much weaker interactions that occur between a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a more electronegative atom and another electronegative atom. These various types of bonds illustrate different chemical interactions, but covalent bonding is specifically characterized by the direct sharing of electrons between nonmetals, leading to the formation of molecules.