Why does \(F\) generally form covalent bonds with great polarity?

A covalent bond is essentially a type of chemical bond where two atoms come together to share electrons with each other. This sharing is typically seen between non-metal atoms, where each atom contributes at least one electron to the bond, allowing them to fill their outer energy levels or shells. Imagine two friends sharing a pizza; just like each gets a slice, in covalent bonds, each atom gets a share of electrons, allowing both to be more stable.

These shared electrons spend time orbiting each atom's nucleus, effectively gluing them together in a highly stable relationship. However, not all covalent bonds are created equal; the strength with which an atom holds on to these electrons can vary greatly—a concept known as electronegativity, which is crucial in understanding the nature of the bond.

Single, Double, and Triple Bonds

Atoms can share different numbers of electrons—sometimes just one pair, leading to a single covalent bond, or more pairs, resulting in double or triple bonds. Each additional pair of shared electrons means a stronger bond, much like multiple ropes can better hold together two objects than just one rope.

When discussing covalent bonds, polarity is a term that often pops up. It refers to the distribution of electrical charge over the atoms joined by the bond. Like magnets with their positive and negative ends, bonds can have poles too—a positive pole and a negative pole. Bonds where the charge is equally distributed are 'nonpolar', but if electrons are hogged by one atom, the bond becomes 'polar'.

Electronegativity is the primadonna of this scenario. It's essentially an atom's ability to attract and hold onto the shared electrons in a covalent bond. The more electronegative an atom is, the more greedily it pulls the electrons towards itself. If you have a bond between two atoms with markedly different electronegativities, the electron-sharing is unequal—the bond is polarized.

Partial Charges

In a polar bond, the more electronegative atom gets a partial negative charge due to the extra electron density, while the less electronegative atom gets a partial positive charge. This partial charge is denoted by the Greek letter delta (δ) followed by a plus or minus sign. So, you end up with δ+ and δ- ends, creating a dipole across the bond, much like a bar magnet.

Fluorine is somewhat like the superhero of the periodic table when it comes to its electronegativity—it has the highest electronegativity value of all the elements at about 4.0 on the Pauling scale. This means fluorine has an extraordinary ability to attract electrons towards itself when forming a covalent bond. It's the chemical equivalent of the strongest kid in a tug of war; it almost always wins the electrons from the other atom.

Because of its high electronegativity, covalent bonds involving fluorine are often highly polar, with the electrons spending much more time closer to the fluorine atom than to the other atom in the bond. This gives fluorine a significant partial negative charge and the other atom a significant partial positive charge.

Reactivity of Fluorine

Another result of fluorine's electron-loving nature is its reactivity. It's known to react with nearly all other elements, sometimes even explosively. This reactivity, paired with its electron-attracting power, is why fluorine is used in many industrial applications, including the production of certain plastics and refrigerants. However, due to its reactive nature, handling fluorine requires extreme caution and controlled conditions.