Question

Explain the relationships between potential energy, distance between approaching atoms, bond length, and bond energy.

a) Potential energy increases with increasing bond length.
b) Bond length decreases with increasing potential energy.
c) Bond energy is inversely proportional to bond length.
d) Potential energy decreases with decreasing bond length.

Answer 1

The relationships between potential energy, distance between approaching atoms, bond length, and bond energy can be explained as follows: potential energy increases with increasing bond length, bond length decreases with increasing potential energy, bond energy is inversely proportional to bond length, and potential energy decreases with decreasing bond length.

Step-by-step explanation:

The relationships between potential energy, distance between approaching atoms, bond length, and bond energy can be explained as follows:

1. Potential energy increases with increasing bond length: As the distance between two atoms increases, the potential energy of the system increases. For example, in the case of two hydrogen atoms, if the bond length is increased, the potential energy of the system will also increase.
2. Bond length decreases with increasing potential energy: As the potential energy of the system increases, the bond length decreases. This means that as the two atoms come closer together, the bond length gets shorter.
3. Bond energy is inversely proportional to bond length: Bond energy is the energy required to break a bond between two atoms. It is inversely proportional to bond length, meaning that as the bond length decreases, the bond energy increases.
4. Potential energy decreases with decreasing bond length: As the bond length decreases, the potential energy of the system decreases. This is because the attractive interactions between the shared electrons and the atomic nuclei dominate over the repulsive interactions.