Sunday, August 2, 2009

What does C-C and C-H bond energies have to do with the reactivity of alkanes?

C-C and C-H bond energies are lower/higher than the rest of the single bonds... what does this have to do with the reactivity of alkanes?

What does C-C and C-H bond energies have to do with the reactivity of alkanes?
During a reaction bonds are broken and new bonds are formed. Now, if C-C and C-H bonds in alkanes are strong, they will be hard to break, therefore we say the alkanes are less reactive.
Reply:If these bond have higher energies (in english: are stronger) than other single bonds, then one will have to supply more energy to break the bond in order for a chemical reaction to occur. Hence one would say that an alkane is much less inclined to react than certain other single bonds, for example, the single bond between oxygen and hydrogen in an alcohol -O-H. This bond is comparatively weak, ie has less bond energy and hence the H comes off easily, hence it is more reactive.


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