Bond

Come together, right now, over me -song, “Come Together” by The Beatles

In chemistry, a covalent bond is a link between two atoms who share a pair of electrons. The best example of this?

Water.

Hydrogen and oxygen come together, or bond, to provide us and the world with the most basic necessity of life.

But why share electrons in the first place?

Ah, here’s where it gets interesting…

Per the website chemistrytalk.org, this happens “because the atoms are trying to fill their outermost energy level, or valence shell, with a full complement of electrons. When the atoms share electrons in this way, they become more stable and less likely to react with other substances. This is why covalent bonds are often found in molecules, which are groups of atoms held together by covalent bonds.”

Put another way, they (the atoms) can’t do it on their own. To “fill their outermost energy level” they need each other. That decision to bond, to come together, is what allows them to reach their full potential.

You and me. Me and you. We’re better together. Let’s take care of ourselves and others. Cuz we’re all we got.