What type of chemical bond is formed by the lateral or sidewise overlap of atomic orbitals, resulting in a cloud of electron density above and below the internuclear axis?

💡 Solution & Explanation

A pi bond is formed through the lateral or sidewise overlap of unhybridized atomic orbitals, creating electron density regions located above and below the internuclear axis. Unlike sigma bonds formed by coaxial head-on overlapping, pi bonds cannot exist independently and always accompany a sigma bond in multiple covalent linkages.