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Chapter 6: Problem 14

Describe the energy changes that take place when two atoms form a covalent bond.

Short Answer

Expert verified
When two atoms form a covalent bond, the energy of the system decreases due to the attractive forces between opposite charges. The minimum potential energy corresponds to the bond length where the attractive and repulsive forces are balanced.

Step by step solution

01

Understand Covalent Bonding

Covalent bonding is a type of chemical bonding where two atoms share pair(s) of electrons. This happens when both atoms have similar electronegativity, and neither can completely transfer their electron(s) to the other. The shared electrons, therefore, 'belong' to both atoms.
02

Energy Changes During Bond Formation

As the two atoms approach each other, there is a decrease in potential energy due to the attractive forces between the positive and negative charges, i.e., the protons in the nuclei and the electrons. They continue to get closer until the repulsive forces (between the nuclei and the shared electrons) balance the attractive forces. This gives the lowest potential energy and thus the bond length.
03

Visualization of Energy Change

To visualize this, consider the bonding energy graph which shows potential energy vs. distance between two atoms. As atoms get close, potential energy decreases until the minimum value is reached which corresponds to the bond length. Any further decrease in distance increases the potential energy due to the repulsive forces.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Name the following covalent compounds. a. \(\mathrm{SF}_{4}\) b. \(\mathrm{XeF}_{4}\) c. \(\mathrm{PBr}_{5}\) d. \(\mathrm{N}_{2} \mathrm{O}_{5}\) e. \(\mathrm{Si}_{3} \mathrm{N}_{4}\)

Name the following compounds, draw their Lewis structures, and determine their shapes. a. \(\mathrm{SiCl}_{4}\) b. \(\mathrm{BCl}_{3}\) c. \(\mathrm{NBr}_{3}\)

Use the following terms to create a concept map: valence electrons, nonpolar, covalent compounds, polar, dipoles, and Lewis structures.

Draw the Lewis structure of \(\mathrm{NH}_{4}^{+} .\) Examine this structure to explain why this five-atom group exists only as a cation.

Contrast a polar covalent bond and a nonpolar covalent bond.
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