A nonpolar covalent bond is characterized by what type of sharing?

A nonpolar covalent bond is characterized by equal sharing of electrons between the two atoms involved in the bond. This occurs typically between two identical nonmetals, such as in the diatomic molecules of hydrogen (H₂), oxygen (O₂), or nitrogen (N₂), where the electronegativity values are the same for both atoms. Because the atoms exert the same strength of attraction on the shared electrons, they share the electrons evenly, resulting in a balanced distribution of electrical charge across the molecule.

In contrast, other types of bonds differentiate based on how electrons are shared or transferred. For example, in polar covalent bonds, the sharing of electrons is unequal due to a difference in electronegativity, leading to a partial positive charge on one atom and a partial negative charge on the other. Ionic bonds involve the complete transfer of electrons from one atom to another, leading to the formation of charged ions, while a bond with ionic character would indicate some level of electron transfer or unequal sharing, rather than equal sharing. Therefore, the defining feature of a nonpolar covalent bond is indeed the equal sharing of electrons.