What are diatomic elements?

Two identical elements covalently bonded together. (Di - two) (Atomic - atoms). This refers to how certain elements occur in nature. For example, hydrogen is a gas found in nature as Hâ‚‚. This does not involve ionic bonding.

If I am correct, this occurs only with nonmetal elements.

you are correct.

Diatomic elements are a group of elements that exist as molecules formed by two atoms of the same element bonded together. The diatomic elements include hydrogen (H2), nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), fluorine (F2), chlorine (Cl2), bromine (Br2), and iodine (I2).

Diatomic molecules are formed due to the presence of two atoms that share electrons through covalent bonding. These elements are stable and highly reactive because they have a tendency to complete their outermost electron shells by sharing electrons with another atom of the same element.

To determine if an element is diatomic, you can refer to the periodic table or chemical references. Diatomic elements are often indicated by a subscript "2" after the elemental symbol.

For example, if you see "H2" as the chemical formula, it signifies that hydrogen is diatomic, composed of two hydrogen atoms bonded together. Similarly, "O2" represents oxygen in its diatomic form with two oxygen atoms bonded together.