noun
- the quality or state of having a valence of two; the capacity of an atom or radical to combine with two other atoms or radicals.
Usage: chemistry; also called bivalence
Examples
- Oxygen exhibits divalence in most of its chemical compounds.
- The divalence of carbon allows it to form stable bonds with other elements.
- In chemistry class, we learned that divalence refers to an atom's ability to bond with exactly two other atoms.
- Sulfur can display divalence in certain organic molecules.