Question

Which is a correct statement of bond strength?

a. compounds with smaller atoms have weaker bond strength
b. compounds with a higher total number of atoms in the compound have greater bond strength
c. compounds containing atoms with greater charges have higher bond strength
d. compounds with larger atoms have higher bond strength

Answer 1

The correct statement regarding bond strength is that compounds containing atoms with greater charges have higher bond strength, as bond strength increases with the number of electron pairs in the bond.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct statement regarding bond strength is that compounds containing atoms with greater charges have higher bond strength. The strength of a bond increases with the number of electron pairs in the bond, leading to a decrease in bond length. Therefore, triple bonds are stronger than double bonds, which in turn are stronger than single bonds between the same two atoms.

Moreover, bond strengths typically decrease as atoms increase in size down a group on the periodic table. For instance, the bond strength in a molecule decreases from C-F to C-Br as the size of the halogen increases. Additionally, trends in bond strength can be partially explained by valence bond theory, which also addresses the number of bonds formed in compounds.