Difference Between Bond Energy and Bond Dissociation Energy Enthalpy


Chemical bonds are the attractive forces that hold atoms together in a molecule or compound. The strength of a chemical bond is determined by the amount of energy required to break the bond. This energy is often measured in terms of bond energy or bond dissociation energy enthalpy. While these two terms may seem similar, there are some key differences between them.

What is Bond Energy?

Bond energy refers to the amount of energy required to break a specific bond in a molecule or compound. It is the energy required to separate two atoms that are bonded together. Bond energy is measured in units of kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol) or electron volts (eV). The bond energy is always a positive value because energy is required to break a bond.

The bond energy of a specific bond can vary depending on the molecules or compounds involved. For example, the bond energy of a C-C bond in ethane (C2H6) is different from the bond energy of a C-C bond in methane (CH4) because the bonding environment is different. Additionally, bond energies are typically measured in the gas phase, where molecules are not influenced by intermolecular forces.

What is Bond Dissociation Energy Enthalpy?

Bond dissociation energy enthalpy (BDE) is the amount of energy required to break all of the bonds of a specific type in one mole of a molecule or compound, which involves the breaking of all bonds between atoms of the same type in a molecule. The BDE is measured in units of kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol) or electron volts (eV). The bond dissociation energy enthalpy is typically measured in the gas phase because the molecules are not influenced by intermolecular forces.

The BDE is a thermodynamic property, which means that it is dependent on the temperature and pressure at which the measurement is made. It is also a function of the chemical environment of the molecule or compound. For example, the BDE of the C-H bond in methane (CH4) is different from the BDE of the C-H bond in ethane (C2H6) because the bonding environment is different.

Differences: Bond Energy and Bond Dissociation Energy Enthalpy

The main difference between bond energy and bond dissociation energy enthalpy is that bond energy refers to the energy required to break a specific bond in a molecule or compound, while bond dissociation energy enthalpy refers to the energy required to break all bonds of a specific type in a molecule or compound.

Bond energy is measured for a specific bond in a molecule, while bond dissociation energy enthalpy is a thermodynamic property that refers to the average energy required to break all bonds of a specific type in a mole of a molecule or compound.

Another difference is that bond energy is dependent on the bonding environment of the molecule or compound, while bond dissociation energy enthalpy is a thermodynamic property that is dependent on the temperature and pressure at which the measurement is made.

Furthermore, bond energy is typically measured in the gas phase, where molecules are not influenced by intermolecular forces. In contrast, bond dissociation energy enthalpy is typically measured in solution, where the molecules are influenced by intermolecular forces.

Characteristics

Bond Energy

Bond Dissociation Energy Enthalpy

Definition

Bond energy is also termed as bond enthalpy and it is defined as the measure of bond strength in a chemical bond. Bond energy is an average value.

Bond dissociation energy is defined as the standard enthalpy change which is required to break a chemical bond.

Product

Bond energy offers the energy needed to form the atoms which are the starting material for bond formation.

Bond dissociation energy provided the energy needed to form free radicals from the atoms which created that particular bond.

Example

In chemistry, bond energy (E) or bond enthalpy (H) is the measure of bond strength in a chemical bond. … For example, the (C-H) carbon–hydrogen bond energy in methane (CH4) is the enthalpy change involved with breaking up one molecule of CH4 into a carbon (C) atom and four hydrogen (H) radicals, divided by four.

For example, in methane molecule, bond dissociation energies for C-H bonds are 439 kJ/mol, 460 kJ/mol,423 kJ/mol and 339 kJ/mol. However, the bond energy of the C-H of methane is 414 kJ/mol, which is the average of all four values.

Further, for a molecule, bond dissociation energy may not necessarily be equal to the bond energy (as for above-given methane example). For a diatomic molecule, bond energy and the bond dissociation energy are the same.

Symbol

It is denoted by E

It is denoted by H

Bond Formation

It gives the energy needed to form the atoms which were the starting material for bond formation.

It gives the energy required to create free radicals from the atoms which created that particular bond.

Conclusion

In summary, bond energy and bond dissociation energy enthalpy are both measures of the strength of chemical bonds. Bond energy refers to the amount of energy required to break a specific bond in a molecule or compound, while bond dissociation energy enthalpy refers to the amount of energy required to break all bonds of a specific type in a molecule or compound. While these terms may seem similar, they have distinct differences that are important to understand when studying chemical bonding and thermodynamics.

Updated on: 17-Apr-2023

2K+ Views

Kickstart Your Career

Get certified by completing the course

Get Started
Advertisements