Final answer:
Breaking a bond requires energy, known as bond energy, which corresponds to the energy released when the bond forms. Different bonds have specific bond energies, like the 80 kcal/mol for a C-C bond and 145 kcal/mol for a C=C bond. The process of breaking bonds is endothermic, absorbing energy.
Step-by-step explanation:
To break a chemical bond, energy must be supplied to the atoms involved. This energy, known as bond energy, is characteristic for different types of bonds and is equivalent to the energy released when the bond was formed. For example, a single carbon-carbon (C-C) bond has a bond energy of about 80 kcal/mol, while a carbon-carbon double bond (C=C) is stronger, requiring approximately 145 kcal/mol to break. In covalent bonding, the term bond dissociation energy is commonly used to describe this strength of interaction. On the other hand, ionic bonds have a related concept known as lattice energy, which is the energy required to separate ions in an ionic compound. Breaking a bond is always endothermic, meaning that it absorbs energy, while bond formation is exothermic, releasing energy. Despite the types of atoms or the kind of bond, the energy required to break a bond is always the same as the energy that was released when that bond was made.