Deep Dive: Breaking and Making Bonds
Part of Bond Energies (HT) — GCSE Chemistry
This deep dive covers Deep Dive: Breaking and Making Bonds within Bond Energies (HT) for GCSE Chemistry. Revise Bond Energies (HT) in Energy Changes for GCSE Chemistry with 20 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 3 of 15 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 3 of 15
Practice
20 questions
Recall
15 flashcards
🔬 Deep Dive: Breaking and Making Bonds
Why does breaking a bond always require energy? Think about pulling a magnet off a fridge: you have to put energy in to separate them. Bonded atoms are similar — they are held together by electrical attraction between positively charged nuclei and shared electrons, and you must supply energy to pull them apart. This is why breaking bonds is always endothermic — it always requires an energy input from the surroundings.
The reverse is also true: when atoms come together to form a bond, they move into a lower, more stable energy state and release the excess energy to the surroundings. This is why forming bonds is always exothermic — it always releases energy.
BREAKING Bonds
⬆️
ENDOTHERMIC
Energy is REQUIRED
Energy IN from surroundings
MAKING Bonds
⬇️
EXOTHERMIC
Energy is RELEASED
Energy OUT to surroundings