What kind of covalent bond is formed between the two oxygen atoms?

Answer 1

The answer to this question isn't completely understood because of the confusion surrounding obtained experimental evidence.

O2 is paramagnetic (that is, it responds to a magnetic field) which implies it has unpaired electrons which also implies that O2 has a single bond. The Lewis structure of O2 with containing a single bond (with two unpaired electrons) is drawn below.

' O - O '

Obtained experimental bond length values on the other hand imply that O2 contains a double bond due to its shortened length.

O = O

Bottom and Top of O's must all have two electrons [dots] (along with the extra two unpaired electrons suggested in figure 1).

[Tried adding the electrons [dots] to tops and bottoms of the oxygen atoms but when posted the dots rearranged in an ugly manner]

Answer 2

Only one covalent bond forms between two atoms in a particular compound.* However, the bond is often classified as a "single" bond if only two electrons, One from each bonded atom, occupy the hybrid orbital created between the two bonded atoms. If two electrons from each bonded atom occupy the hybrid orbital, the bond may be called "double" and if three atoms from each bonded atom occupy the hybrid orbital, the bond may be called "triple".

*Some pairs of atoms can be bonded by different types of bonds in different molecules. Two carbon atoms for example, can form a "single", "double", or "triple" bond between them.

Answer 3

A double covalent bond is formed between the two oxygen atoms. Each oxygen atom shares two electrons with the other, resulting in a total of four electrons being shared between them.

Answer 4

It is a double covalent bond.