What term describes a covalent bond in which two atoms are shared unequally?

• A. Polar bond
• B. Nonpolar bond
• C. Alloy
• D. Metallic bond

Answer: (A)

When two atoms share electrons unequally, the electrons spend more time around the more electronegative atom, creating partial charges on the atoms. This uneven sharing in a covalent bond is called a polar bond (polar covalent bond). For example, in a water molecule, oxygen pulls electron density toward itself, giving it a partial negative charge while the hydrogens become partially positive, creating a polar bond.

In contrast, a nonpolar bond happens when the atoms share electrons fairly equally, like in H2 or O2. Metallic bonds and alloys involve different types of bonding and structures, not this unequal covalent sharing.

So the term for a covalent bond in which two atoms are shared unequally is a polar bond.