NO2, also known as nitrogen dioxide, forms a covalent bond. In a covalent bond, atoms share electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration. In the case of NO2, nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O) share electrons to form the molecule.
Nitrogen has five valence electrons, while oxygen has six. To achieve stability, nitrogen shares its electrons with two oxygen atoms. This sharing of electrons results in the formation of covalent bonds. The structure of NO2 is bent, with a bond angle of approximately 134 degrees.
In summary, NO2 is a covalent compound because it involves the sharing of electrons between nitrogen and oxygen atoms.