Question

When a molecule has the possibility to form two different structures, the structure with the stronger bonds is usually the more stable form, and the one preferentially formed during a reaction. Use bond energies to predict the more stable structure of the hydroxylamine molecule. Show all your work and explain how your numerical answer explains the stability of your chosen molecule.

N-H =390 kJ/mol
N-O = 200 kJ/mol
O-H = 464 kJ/mol

Answer 1

The most stable structure of hydroxylamine is predicted based on given bond energies to be the one with the highest number of stronger N-H bonds, as stronger bonds contribute to greater stability.

Step-by-step explanation:

When considering the more stable structure of the hydroxylamine molecule, we need to evaluate the potential structures based on the bond energies provided. The given bond energies are N-H = 390 kJ/mol, N-O = 200 kJ/mol, and O-H = 464 kJ/mol.

A structure with more N-H bonds would generally have higher energy due to the greater bond energy of N-H versus N-O. We can infer that hydroxylamine will have a structure with the greatest possible number of stronger (higher energy) N-H bonds to be more stable, as stronger bonds make for a more stable molecule.

An alternative structure with an O-H bond instead of an N-H bond would have a weaker bond (based on the given bond energies), implying that this structure is less stable. Hence, the most stable structure of hydroxylamine would preferentially have the stronger N-H bonds rather than the weaker O-H or N-O bonds wherever possible.