Final answer:
'c. Breaking bonds is an endothermic process that requires an input of energy. The correct answer is ' Breaking bonds requires energy to overcome the bond energy holding atoms together,
Step-by-step explanation:
In the process of a chemical reaction, bond breaking is an endothermic process that requires the input of energy; therefore, the correct answer is: c. Breaking bonds is an endothermic process that requires an input of energy.
This is because atoms are held together by certain energy known as bond energy, and to separate these atoms, the energy has to be added.
For instance, to break the covalent bonds in one mole of hydrogen molecules, a significant amount of energy, specifically 436 kJ, is necessary to break the hydrogen bonds and cause the atoms to separate:
H₂(g) → 2H(g)
ΔH = +436 kJ
This same amount of energy would be released when new bonds are formed, illustrating that energy is neither created nor destroyed, which conforms to the law of conservation of energy.
On the other hand, bond forming is an exothermic process that releases energy. If more energy is released in forming new bonds than is absorbed in breaking old bonds, the reaction is considered exothermic, which is not the case when bonds are merely broken.