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Chapter 9: Problem 31

Compare single, double, and triple bonds in a molecule, and give an example of each. For the same bonding atoms, how does the bond length change from single bond to triple bond?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Single bonds have one shared pair of electrons (e.g., H2), double bonds have two (O2), and triple bonds have three (N2). As one moves from single to triple bonds, the bond length decreases because additional shared pairs of electrons pull the bonded atoms closer together.

Step by step solution

01

Identify Single, Double and Triple Bonds

Single bonds, double bonds, and triple bonds in molecules refer to the number of shared pairs of electrons between two atoms. A single bond has one shared pair of electrons, a double bond has two shared pairs, and a triple bond has three shared pairs of electrons.
02

Provide Examples

Examples of molecules with these types of bonds are: \n- Single bond: The molecule of hydrogen (H2) is an example, where two hydrogen atoms are connected by a single bond. \n- Double bond: Oxygen (O2) is a molecule where two oxygen atoms are connected by a double bond. \n- Triple bond: Nitrogen (N2) is an example of a molecule with a triple bond, where two nitrogen atoms share three pairs of electrons.
03

Bond Length Comparison

In terms of bond length, the more bond pairs (more bonds), the shorter the bond length. This is because the additional shared pairs of electrons pull the bonded atoms closer together due to their negative charges being attracted to the positive charges of the atomic nuclei. So, for the same bonding atoms, as we go from single bond to double bond to triple bond, the bond length decreases.

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