Why are electrons shared in molecular compounds? Why are electrons shared in molecular compounds? Solution Electrons are shared because the atoms and elements don’t exist or aren’t stable in their crude form. They need to complete their o outermost shell to become stable. They need to complete the octet rule. Any substance in nature prefers a low energy form and is thermodynamically stable at that lower energy, hence atoms need to follow the octet rule. In doing so they form molecular compounds, when they share their electrons with each other, hence completing and satisfying each other. Sharing leads to formation of a Covalent bond between the 2 atoms. Sharing of atoms mostly happens in non metals , metalloids and other electronegative atoms..