<P> A covalent bond , also called a molecular bond , is a chemical bond that involves the sharing of electron pairs between atoms . These electron pairs are known as shared pairs or bonding pairs , and the stable balance of attractive and repulsive forces between atoms , when they share electrons , is known as covalent bonding . For many molecules , the sharing of electrons allows each atom to attain the equivalent of a full outer shell , corresponding to a stable electronic configuration . </P>
two atoms of the same element that are covalently bonded
shared pairs or bonding pairs