How many electrons are shared in a double bond?

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Multiple Choice

How many electrons are shared in a double bond?

A double bond involves two covalent bonds between the same two atoms, and each bond shares a pair of electrons. So a double bond has two shared pairs of electrons, which totals four electrons shared between the atoms. In Lewis structures this is shown as two parallel lines, each line representing one shared pair. The other numbers correspond to different situations: a single bond has two shared electrons, a triple bond has six, and eight refers to the typical octet around each atom—not the number of electrons shared in the bond itself.

A double bond involves two covalent bonds between the same two atoms, and each bond shares a pair of electrons. So a double bond has two shared pairs of electrons, which totals four electrons shared between the atoms. In Lewis structures this is shown as two parallel lines, each line representing one shared pair. The other numbers correspond to different situations: a single bond has two shared electrons, a triple bond has six, and eight refers to the typical octet around each atom—not the number of electrons shared in the bond itself.

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