What type of bond typically involves sharing electron pairs?

A covalent bond is characterized by the sharing of electron pairs between atoms. This type of bond occurs primarily between nonmetals, where atoms achieve a more stable electron configuration by sharing electrons, thus allowing each atom to fill its outer shell. The shared electrons count towards the valence shell of both atoms involved in the bond, which lowers the potential energy and creates a more stable arrangement.

In contrast, hydrogen bonds are a type of weak interaction that occurs between molecules, involving a hydrogen atom and an electronegative atom (like oxygen or nitrogen), rather than sharing electrons. Ionic bonds involve the transfer of electrons from one atom to another, resulting in charged ions that are held together by electrostatic forces. Metallic bonds consist of a ‘sea of electrons’ that are free to move around metal atoms, leading to properties like conductivity and malleability, but do not involve the sharing of electron pairs in the same manner as covalent bonds. Thus, covalent bonding is specifically defined by the sharing of electron pairs, making it the correct choice in this context.