Chemistry Regents Practice Test

What must occur to break a chemical bond?

1. Energy must be released

2. Energy must be absorbed

3. No energy is needed

4. Energy must be converted

The correct answer is: Energy must be absorbed

To break a chemical bond, energy must be absorbed. This is because chemical bonds are formed when atoms share or transfer electrons, resulting in a stable arrangement of energy. Breaking a bond requires an input of energy to overcome the attractive forces holding the atoms together. When energy is absorbed, it allows the atoms to overcome the energy barrier associated with the bond strength, leading to the separation of the bonded entities. This concept aligns with the principle that breaking bonds is an endothermic process, where energy is taken in to disrupt the stable configuration of electrons. In contrast, energy release is associated with the formation of chemical bonds, where energy is emitted as bonds are made. Thus, the idea that no energy is needed or that energy simply needs to be converted does not accurately describe the process of breaking bonds, as both scenarios fail to account for the requirement of energy input to overcome the bond's stability.