covalent bonds
Compounds that form from two or more nonmetallic elements, such as carbon and hydrogen, are called covalent compounds . In a covalent compound, atoms of the different elements are held together in molecules by covalent bonds. These are chemical bonds in which atoms share valence electrons. The force of attraction between the shared electrons and the positive nuclei of both atoms holds the atoms together in the molecule. A molecule is the smallest particle of a covalent compound that still has the properties of the compound.