To determine the energy stored in a specific functional group, one can consider the sum of bond energies within that group. The relevant energy types include total energy, energy relative to free atoms, and heat of formation relative to pure compounds. However, it's important to note that the energy associated with functional groups is not uniform; variations exist due to differences in molecular structure and interactions. For example, while carboxylic acids may share similar characteristics, their pKa values can differ, indicating variations in energy release or absorption during bond dissociation. This highlights that the energy differences among functional groups, while small compared to total energy values, are significant in a chemical context.
