Chemistry — Fundamentals of Chemical Bonding + 6 more topics

When atoms bond, they're essentially trying to achieve a more stable, lower-energy state. This stability is often related to having a full outer electron shell, which makes them resemble the noble gases (like Neon or Argon) that are very unreactive. This concept is commonly known as the octet rule, meaning most atoms want 8 electrons in their outermost shell (though hydrogen and helium aim for 2).