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Chapter 5: Problem 59

In terms of energy, why is an \(\mathrm{H}_{2}\) molecule more stable than two isolated \(\mathrm{H}\) atoms?

Short Answer

Expert verified
In terms of energy, a hydrogen molecule (H2) is more stable than two isolated hydrogen atoms because the bond formation in H2 results in a lower energy state. The attractive force between the electrons and nuclei in H2 is greater than the repulsive force between the positively charged nuclei, providing stability. When two isolated H atoms form a hydrogen molecule, energy is released, indicating that H2 has lower energy compared to the isolated atoms. Since natural systems tend to minimize their energy, H2 is more stable than two isolated hydrogen atoms.

Step by step solution

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1. Understanding the structure of hydrogen atom and hydrogen molecule

The hydrogen atom has one electron in its outermost shell, and can attain stability by having another electron to complete its outermost shell which can accommodate a maximum of 2 electrons. When two hydrogen atoms come close together, they share their electrons to form a single covalent bond which results in a hydrogen molecule (H2).
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2. Bond formation and stability

In a hydrogen molecule, the electrons are shared between the two hydrogen atoms, creating a region of high electron density between the nuclei of the two atoms. This sharing of electrons results in the formation of a covalent bond. The negatively charged electrons in this bond help to shield the positively charged nuclei of the two hydrogen atoms from each other, reducing the repulsions between the nuclei. The attractive force between the electrons and the nuclei is greater than the repulsive force between the positively charged nuclei, thus providing stability.
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3. Understanding bond energy

Bond energy refers to the amount of energy required to break a bond between two atoms, or the amount of energy that is released when a bond is formed. More formally, the bond energy (also called the bond dissociation energy) is the energy required to dissociate a molecule into its constituent atoms. In the case of H2, the bond energy is the energy required to break the H2 molecule into its constituent H atoms.
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4. Comparing the energy of isolated hydrogen atoms and hydrogen molecule

When two isolated hydrogen atoms come together and form a hydrogen molecule, energy is released in the form of heat. This means that the bond in the hydrogen molecule is associated with a lower energy level compared to the electrons in the isolated hydrogen atoms. The bond energy of the hydrogen molecule represents the energy difference between the isolated hydrogen atoms and the hydrogen molecule.
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5. Stability of hydrogen molecule in terms of energy

As the hydrogen molecule (H2) has a lower energy state compared to the two isolated hydrogen atoms, it is more stable. Systems at a lower energy state are more stable because it would require energy input for them to return to their initial higher energy state, or in this case, to dissociate the hydrogen molecule back into its isolated hydrogen atoms. Since, in general, natural systems tend to minimize their energy, it can be concluded that the hydrogen molecule (H2) is more stable than two isolated hydrogen atoms in terms of energy.

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