Are covalent bonds really directed?

The flux theory of the chemical bond, which provides a physical description of chemical structure based on classical electrostatic theory, correctly predicts the angles between bonds, to the extent that they depend on the intrinsic properties of the bonded atoms. It is based on the justifiable assumption that the charge density around the nucleus of an atom retains most of its spherical symmetry even when bonded. A knowledge of these intrinsic …