FN 225: Nutrition
Beth Naylor, M.S., R.D.
Health Professions Division
Lane Community College
Eugene, Oregon

Covalent Bonding "Movie"

Back in back in the late nineties, I made a tiny animated "movie" before I knew anything about posting online.  I've now turned it into mostly still images (below).

Why these still images and short animation about COVALENT BONDING? 
When a plant makes glucose by photosynthesis, it captures the sun's energy in the bonds that join the atoms of carbons in glucose.  The purpose of this movie to explain what bonds are.

The following images show the formation of ethyl alcohol.  The energy in that molecule can be found in the molecule's bonds, particularly the bonds between the carbon atoms.

As you watch it, focus again on what it says about
atoms,
outer shells and
FULL outer shells. 

As I said above, atoms that I'm familiar with do not have FULL outer shells when they are single atoms.  Without a FULL outer shell, they are looking for electrons to fill their outer shell so they can be stable.



(We are now the Health Professions Division.)
What it looks like with motion:
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Now let's look at it again without the motion.


Can you see that one of the 6 hydrogen atoms in the picture above has now moved down to combine with a carbon atom.




Now 5 of the 6 hydrogen atoms in this picture have moved down to combine with carbon atoms.





Now the oxygen atom has joined with atoms of carbon and hydrogen, forming ethyl alcohol.

The sun's energy is now in the bonds between the atoms, especially in the carbon to carbon bonds.