What Does Bond Energy Really Mean?

[james3444]

I'm having trouble understanding the definition of bond energy. My textbook defines it as the energy required to break 1 mole of the bond in the gas phase. I don't understand what it means to break 1 mole of a bond.
Cl₂ (g) ---> 2 Cl(g) Bond energy = 243 kJ.
Since 1 mole of Cl₂ is 1.2*10²⁴ molecules, does this mean bond energy is the total energy required to break 1.2*10²⁴ Cl-Cl bonds?

 

[Ygggdrasil]

One mole of Cl₂ is 6.02x10²³ molecules of Cl₂. There are 1.2x10²⁴ Cl atoms, but only 6.02x10²³ Cl-Cl bonds. So the bond energy is the total energy required to break 6.02x10²³ Cl-Cl bonds.