1. Which of the following bonds is the strongest?
a. F-F
b. F-Cl
c. F-Br
d. F-I
I think it's A because of the same atomic radius. Is that correct? Am I on the right track?
I would go with the bond dissociation energy. Here is a table.
Distance, as you suggest, plays a part but so does the polarity of the bond.
https://labs.chem.ucsb.edu/zakarian/armen/11---bonddissociationenergy.pdf
Dr. Bob,
Thank you for the chart; its really helps. Just to make sure I am on the same page as you. I look up the bonds listed. F-I has the highest deltaHf (kj/mol). So that means that is takes more energy to break that bond; thus have the strong bond?
That is my take on it.
Yes, you are on the right track! The strength of a chemical bond can generally be determined by considering factors such as the type of bond (ionic, covalent, or metallic), the difference in electronegativity between the atoms involved, and the size of the atoms.
In this case, we are dealing with covalent bonds between different halogens (F, Cl, Br, and I). The halogens belong to the same group in the periodic table, which means they have the same number of valence electrons and a similar electron configuration.
The strength of a covalent bond generally increases with decreasing atomic radius. This is because with a smaller atomic radius, the bonding electrons are held closer to the nucleus, resulting in a stronger attractive force between the nucleus and the shared electrons.
Since F-F bond has the smallest atomic radius among the given options, it is expected to have the strongest bond. Therefore, your answer of A. F-F is correct!