1.4.2
Bond Breaking and Making
Bond Breaking and Making
Bond Breaking and Making
The basis of chemical reactions is a series of bond breaking and making.


Bond enthalpies
Bond enthalpies
- During a reaction, some chemical bonds must be broken and made.
- The energy to break or make a bond is known as the bond enthalpy.
- Energy is needed to break a bond so it is an endothermic process.
- Energy is given off when a bond is made so it is an exothermic process.
- The enthalpy change of a reaction is a sum of the individual bond enthalpies being broken and made during the reaction.


The dominating term
The dominating term
- During a chemical reaction, we must determine whether the reaction requires more energy to break bonds or to make bonds.
- This will give an overall reaction enthalpy that is either positive or negative.


Endothermic vs exothermic
Endothermic vs exothermic
- Since bond breaking is endothermic and bond making is exothermic:
- More energy required to break bonds in a reaction will lead to an overall endothermic reaction.
- More energy released making bonds in a reaction will lead to an overall exothermic reaction.
1Physical Chemistry
1.1Atomic Structure
1.1.1Fundamental Particles
1.1.2Isotopes & Mass Number
1.1.3Mass Spectrometry
1.1.4Electron Shells, Sub-Shells & Orbitals
1.1.5Electron Configuration
1.1.6Ionisation Energy
1.1.7Factors Affecting Ionisation Energies
1.1.8Trends of Ionisation
1.1.9Specific Impacts on Ionisation Energies
1.1.10End of Topic Test - Atomic Structure
1.1.11A-A* (AO3/4) - Atomic Structure
1.2Amount of Substance
1.3Bonding
1.3.1Ionic Bonding
1.3.2Covalent & Dative Bonding
1.3.3Carbon Structures
1.3.4Metallic Bonding
1.3.5Physical Properties
1.3.6Shapes of Molecules
1.3.7Polarity
1.3.8Intermolecular Forces
1.3.9Intermolecular Forces 2
1.3.10End of Topic Test - Bonding
1.3.11Exam-Style Question - Shape of Molecules
1.3.12A-A* (AO3/4) - Bonding
1.4Energetics
1.5Kinetics
1.6Equilibria
2Physical Chemistry 2 (A2 Only)
2.1Thermodynamics (A2 Only)
2.2Rate Equations (A2 Only)
2.3The Equilibrium Constant Kp (A2 Only)
2.4Electrochemical Cells (A2 Only)
2.5Acids & Bases (A2 Only)
2.5.1Brønsted-Lowry Acids & Bases (A2 Only)
2.5.2pH (A2 Only)
2.5.3The Ionic Product of Water (A2 Only)
2.5.4Weak Acids & Bases (A2 Only)
2.5.5pH Curves & Titrations (A2 Only)
2.5.6pH Curves & Titrations 2 (A2 Only)
2.5.7Buffer Solutions (A2 Only)
2.5.8End of Topic Test - Acids & Bases
2.5.9Exam-Style Question - Weak Acids
2.5.10A-A* (AO3/4) - Acids & Bases
3Inorganic Chemistry
3.1Periodicity & Trends
4Inorganic Chemistry 2 (A2 Only)
4.1Period 3 (A2 Only)
4.2Transition Metals (A2 Only)
4.2.1General Properties (A2 Only)
4.2.2Substitution Reactions (A2 Only)
4.2.3Shapes of Complex Ions (A2 Only)
4.2.4Colours of Ions (A2 Only)
4.2.5Variable Oxidation States (A2 Only)
4.2.6Titrations (A2 Only)
4.2.7Homogeneous Catalysts (A2 Only)
4.2.8Heterogeneous Catalysts (A2 Only)
4.2.9End of Topic Test - Transition Metals
4.2.10A-A* (AO3/4) - Transition Metals
4.3Reactions of Ions in Aqueous Solutions (A2 Only)
5Organic Chemistry 1
5.1Introduction
5.2Alkanes
5.3Halogenoalkanes
5.4Alkenes
5.5Alcohols
5.6Organic Analysis
5.7A-A* (AO3/4) - Organic 1
6Organic Chemistry 2 (A2 Only)
6.1Optical Isomerism (A2 Only)
6.2Aldehydes & Ketones (A2 Only)
6.3Carboxylic Acids & Esters (A2 Only)
6.4Aromatic Chemistry (A2 Only)
6.5Amines (A2 Only)
6.6Polymers (A2 Only)
6.7Biological Organic (A2 Only)
6.8Organic Synthesis (A2 Only)
6.9NMR Spectroscopy (A2 Only)
6.10Chromatography (A2 Only)
6.11A-A* (AO3/4) - Organic 2
Jump to other topics
1Physical Chemistry
1.1Atomic Structure
1.1.1Fundamental Particles
1.1.2Isotopes & Mass Number
1.1.3Mass Spectrometry
1.1.4Electron Shells, Sub-Shells & Orbitals
1.1.5Electron Configuration
1.1.6Ionisation Energy
1.1.7Factors Affecting Ionisation Energies
1.1.8Trends of Ionisation
1.1.9Specific Impacts on Ionisation Energies
1.1.10End of Topic Test - Atomic Structure
1.1.11A-A* (AO3/4) - Atomic Structure
1.2Amount of Substance
1.3Bonding
1.3.1Ionic Bonding
1.3.2Covalent & Dative Bonding
1.3.3Carbon Structures
1.3.4Metallic Bonding
1.3.5Physical Properties
1.3.6Shapes of Molecules
1.3.7Polarity
1.3.8Intermolecular Forces
1.3.9Intermolecular Forces 2
1.3.10End of Topic Test - Bonding
1.3.11Exam-Style Question - Shape of Molecules
1.3.12A-A* (AO3/4) - Bonding
1.4Energetics
1.5Kinetics
1.6Equilibria
2Physical Chemistry 2 (A2 Only)
2.1Thermodynamics (A2 Only)
2.2Rate Equations (A2 Only)
2.3The Equilibrium Constant Kp (A2 Only)
2.4Electrochemical Cells (A2 Only)
2.5Acids & Bases (A2 Only)
2.5.1Brønsted-Lowry Acids & Bases (A2 Only)
2.5.2pH (A2 Only)
2.5.3The Ionic Product of Water (A2 Only)
2.5.4Weak Acids & Bases (A2 Only)
2.5.5pH Curves & Titrations (A2 Only)
2.5.6pH Curves & Titrations 2 (A2 Only)
2.5.7Buffer Solutions (A2 Only)
2.5.8End of Topic Test - Acids & Bases
2.5.9Exam-Style Question - Weak Acids
2.5.10A-A* (AO3/4) - Acids & Bases
3Inorganic Chemistry
3.1Periodicity & Trends
4Inorganic Chemistry 2 (A2 Only)
4.1Period 3 (A2 Only)
4.2Transition Metals (A2 Only)
4.2.1General Properties (A2 Only)
4.2.2Substitution Reactions (A2 Only)
4.2.3Shapes of Complex Ions (A2 Only)
4.2.4Colours of Ions (A2 Only)
4.2.5Variable Oxidation States (A2 Only)
4.2.6Titrations (A2 Only)
4.2.7Homogeneous Catalysts (A2 Only)
4.2.8Heterogeneous Catalysts (A2 Only)
4.2.9End of Topic Test - Transition Metals
4.2.10A-A* (AO3/4) - Transition Metals
4.3Reactions of Ions in Aqueous Solutions (A2 Only)
5Organic Chemistry 1
5.1Introduction
5.2Alkanes
5.3Halogenoalkanes
5.4Alkenes
5.5Alcohols
5.6Organic Analysis
5.7A-A* (AO3/4) - Organic 1
6Organic Chemistry 2 (A2 Only)
6.1Optical Isomerism (A2 Only)
6.2Aldehydes & Ketones (A2 Only)
6.3Carboxylic Acids & Esters (A2 Only)
6.4Aromatic Chemistry (A2 Only)
6.5Amines (A2 Only)
6.6Polymers (A2 Only)
6.7Biological Organic (A2 Only)
6.8Organic Synthesis (A2 Only)
6.9NMR Spectroscopy (A2 Only)
6.10Chromatography (A2 Only)
6.11A-A* (AO3/4) - Organic 2

Unlock your full potential with GoStudent tutoring
Affordable 1:1 tutoring from the comfort of your home
Tutors are matched to your specific learning needs
30+ school subjects covered