How many bonds can helium and fluorine make?

Question

Please explain the number of bonds that helium and fluorine make?

Answer 1

How do you determine how many bonds an element can make? 

Look at it's position on the periodic table. Which column is it in? 

 

Why do elements even make bonds? They want to become more stable, by having 8 valence electrons (the Octet Rule). So they will make as many bonds as they need to achieve this, knowing that each bond adds one more electron.

 

Fluorine: there are 7 valence electrons. So, we need one more. So fluorine will typically make one bond. 

Helium: this is a special case, as with hydrogen. These only need 2 valence electrons. Helium already has 2, so it will typically make zero bonds.