| | ChemTeam: G.N. Lewis & The Covalent Bond |
 | | Like a double bond it may break one bond, producing two odd carbon atoms, but it may also break in a way in which the double bond cannot, to leave a single bond and two carbon atoms (bivalent), each of which has a pair of electrons which is not bound to any other atom. |
 | | Thus two carbon atoms with a single bond strive to keep their kernels as far part as possible, and this condition is met when the adjoining corners of the two tetrahedra lie in the line joining the centers of the tetrahedra. |
 | | When a single bond changes to a multiple bond and the two atomic shells have two pairs of electrons in common, the kernels are forced nearer together and the mutual repulsion of these kernels greatly weakens the constraints at the points of junction. |
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