Does Bond Length Always Equal Bond Strength?

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion clarifies that bond length does not always equate to bond strength, highlighting specific examples such as F2 and Cl2, where bond lengths are 142 pm and 199 pm, respectively, yet bond energies differ significantly at 158 kJ and 243 kJ. Additionally, the comparison of C-N and C-Cl bonds illustrates that a shorter bond length (C-N at 147 pm) does not guarantee greater bond strength (308 kJ) compared to a longer bond length (C-Cl at 177 pm) with a higher bond energy of 330 kJ. The relationship between atomic number and bond stability is also addressed, indicating that heavier atoms may exhibit exceptions to the general trend.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic chemical bonding concepts
  • Familiarity with bond length and bond energy terminology
  • Knowledge of periodic trends in atomic structure
  • Ability to interpret data from chemical resources
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the relationship between bond length and bond strength in transition metals
  • Explore the effects of hybridization on bond characteristics
  • Study the implications of atomic size on bond stability in heavier elements
  • Investigate the role of electron density in bond formation and strength
USEFUL FOR

Chemistry students, researchers in molecular chemistry, and professionals studying chemical bonding and molecular stability will benefit from this discussion.

Dr. Nick
Messages
28
Reaction score
0
Bond length, Bond strength, relationship ?

Is this always true ? And why? My answer to this question would be, having larger electron density between two nuclei, thus attraction, allows them to position more closely.

But somehow I think that there could be some exceptions of this rule, maybe in molecules of heavy atoms with many subvalece orbital not allowing them to be at close range, but still having strong bonds with good overlap.

Or, if this rule is absolutely and always true, I would say that bond strength decrease as atomic number increases (throughout period system), and molecules of atoms with larger number of orbital and electrons are less stabile.


edit:i've fixed the title
... :) well I've tried
 
Last edited:
Chemistry news on Phys.org
No, this is not always the case. Take for example F2 and Cl2; the bond lengths are 142 and 199 pm, respectively. The bond energies, however, are 158 and 243 kJ, respectively.

Another example (where one atom is kept constant) would be a C-N and a C-Cl bond. The C-N bond is 147 pm, the C-Cl, 177 pm. The energies are 308 and 330 kJ, respectively.

Data are from http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/~cchieh/cact/c120/bondel.html
 
For anyone that is confused by the title, I'm quite sure the OP is talking about the usual inverse relationship between bond-length and bond strength.
 

Similar threads

Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
4K
Replies
9
Views
4K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
3K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
4K
Replies
3
Views
7K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
5K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
8K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
4K
Replies
2
Views
10K