What type of bond occurs between two nonmetals?

A covalent bond occurs between two nonmetals when they share electrons to achieve a full outer shell and thereby reach greater stability. This shared electron pair allows both atoms to fulfill the octet rule, which is a principle that states that atoms tend to bond in such a way that they each have eight electrons in their outer shell, mimicking the electron configuration of noble gases.

In contrast, ionic bonds typically form between metals and nonmetals, where electrons are transferred from the metal to the nonmetal, leading to the formation of charged ions. Metallic bonds involve the sharing of free electrons among a lattice of metal atoms. While polar bonds represent a type of covalent bond where electrons are shared unequally due to differing electronegativities, they are still fundamentally covalent in nature. Therefore, the interaction between two nonmetals is best characterized as a covalent bond, which is central to molecular formation in chemistry.