Electronegativity Difference

[Ken Woo 1K]

In lecture, we discussed that if the electronegativity different is less than 1.5, it is covalent, and if it is more than 2.0, it is covalent. However, how would we classify a bond between two elements if they have an electronegativity difference between 1.5 and 2.0? Do such bonds exist and would matter in this course?

[Simon_2L]

Hi! From what I gathered and based off what my TA told me, it depends on the properties of the molecule. Some molecules with electronegativities between 1.5-2.0 tend to have either more covalent or ionic characteristics which would be the deciding factor. Said characteristics to consider is soluability (how the molecule behaves/interacts with other elements such as water) in relation to size, if the molecule is a salt or not, amongst other things. I hope this helps!