Diatomic molecule

A molecule composed of exactly two atoms, which may be identical or belong to different elements. Its atoms may be joined by covalent or, in some cases, ionic bonding.

Chemical bond: An interaction that holds atoms or ions together in a chemical substance. Diatomic molecules are held together by bonds between their two atoms.
Covalent bond: A chemical bond formed when atoms share electron density. Most stable neutral diatomic molecules are held together by covalent bonds.
Hydrogen: The chemical element with atomic number 1, commonly found as H₂ under ordinary conditions. Hydrogen gas is the smallest and most abundant stable homonuclear diatomic molecule.
Monatomic gas: A gas whose particles consist of single atoms rather than bonded groups of atoms. Monatomic gases have one atom per particle, unlike diatomic molecules.
Molecular orbital: A quantum-mechanical orbital describing an electron's distribution across a molecule. Molecular orbitals explain bonding and antibonding states in two-atom molecules.
Ionic bond: An electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions. Some two-atom species, such as sodium chloride molecules in the gas phase, are strongly ionic.
Nitrogen: The chemical element with atomic number 7, commonly found as N₂ in Earth's atmosphere. Its exceptionally strong triple bond makes N₂ a notable stable diatomic molecule.
Polyatomic molecule: A molecule composed of three or more atoms. Polyatomic molecules contain more atoms than the defining two-atom structure.
Bond order: A measure of the net number of chemical bonds between two atoms in a molecule. Bond order distinguishes single, double, and triple bonds in diatomic species.
Bond dissociation energy: The energy required to break a specified chemical bond by homolytic cleavage. It quantifies how much energy is needed to separate a diatomic molecule's atoms.

Linked from 8 pages