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Mean Bond Enthalpies

Mean bond enthalpies can be used in rough calculations to predict enthalpy changes.

Bond enthalpy

Bond enthalpy

  • Bond enthalpy is the enthalpy change when one mole of bonds is broken in the gas phase.
  • This varies from molecule to molecule and from bond to bond.
Mean bond enthalpies

Mean bond enthalpies

  • Some molecules (e.g. methane - CH4) have multiple identical bonds.
    • The energy to break the second CH bond in methane will be greater than for the first bond because the molecule will rearrange after the first bond is broken.
    • The CH bond enthalpy value for methane is the average of all four bond enthalpies.
Example

Example

  • Looking at the previous example of methane:
    • First C-H broken: 401 kJmol-1
    • Second C-H broken: 413 kJmol-1
    • Third C-H broken: 428 kJmol-1
    • Fourth C-H broken: 439 kJmol-1
  • So overall, the enthalpy change will be an average:
    • (439 + 428 + 413 + 401) ÷ 4 = 420.25 kJmol-1
Inaccuracies

Inaccuracies

  • There are two main reasons mean bond enthalpies are inaccurate:
    • Mean bond enthalpies are only valid in the gas phase. You might not be doing your reaction in the gas phase.
    • Bond enthalpies depend on the particular molecule, whereas mean bond enthalpies are quoted generally.
      • So we can't expect a perfect answer - they are only good as a guide.
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Principles of Science I

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Structure & Bonding

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