Why is bond energy defined only for gases?
Why is bond energy defined only for gases?
Please briefly explain why is bond energy defined only for gases? Thanks for your help again.
asked by Ethio on January 9, 2012
Bond energy is not defined only for gases; it is defined for any type of chemical bond, regardless of the state of matter. However, the reason why bond energies are often referred to in the context of gases is because bond energies are typically measured in the gas phase using a technique called spectroscopy.
In the gas phase, molecules are more separated from each other compared to the liquid or solid phase. This means that the interactions between molecules are primarily due to the chemical bonds holding them together, rather than any intermolecular forces. Therefore, by measuring the amount of energy required to break the bonds in a molecule, one can determine the bond energy.
Spectroscopy is a technique that involves studying the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter. In the gas phase, spectroscopic techniques such as infrared spectroscopy or ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy can be used to measure the energy required to break specific bonds in a molecule. By analyzing the resulting spectra, scientists can obtain information about the bond energies in gases.
However, it is important to note that bond energies can also be determined for molecules in other states of matter, such as liquids or solids. Different experimental techniques are used in these cases, such as calorimetry or computational methods. The values obtained may differ slightly from those obtained in the gas phase due to the influence of intermolecular forces or the presence of additional energy contributions in the condensed states.