What is the Difference Between Bond Enthalpy and Lattice Enthalpy?

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The main difference between bond enthalpy and lattice enthalpy lies in the processes they describe:

  • Bond Enthalpy: This refers to the amount of energy required to break one mole of bonds of a particular type between two atoms in the gaseous state. It is also known as bond dissociation enthalpy. Bond enthalpy deals with bond breaking, and it is associated with the interaction of just two atoms.
  • Lattice Enthalpy: This is the amount of energy required to completely separate one mole of a solid crystalline ionic compound into its constituent gaseous ions. Lattice enthalpy measures the change in enthalpy when the solid structure is formed or broken. It is associated with many interactions, as cations and anions pack together in an extended lattice.

In summary, bond enthalpy deals with bond breaking, while lattice enthalpy deals with bond forming.

Comparative Table: Bond Enthalpy vs Lattice Enthalpy

Bond enthalpy and lattice enthalpy are two different concepts in chemistry. Here is a table highlighting the differences between them:

Property Bond Enthalpy Lattice Enthalpy
Definition Bond enthalpy is the enthalpy change when one mole of bonds is broken in a substance at 298 K. Lattice enthalpy is the enthalpy change when one mole of an ionic compound is formed from its gaseous ions at 298 K.
Direction Bond enthalpy deals with bond breaking. Lattice enthalpy deals with bond formation.
System Bond enthalpy describes the energy exchange in a molecular system. Lattice enthalpy describes the energy exchange in an ionic system.
Typical Units Kilojoules (kJ) Kilojoules (kJ)

The key difference between bond enthalpy and lattice enthalpy is that bond enthalpy is the amount of energy required to break a bond, while lattice enthalpy is the amount of energy required to form an ionic compound from its gaseous ions.