Question

What is the relationship between the bond order of a bond and the designation of single, double, and triple bonds?

Short answer

The bond order indicates the type of bond that occurs between atoms: a single bond has a bond order of 1, a double bond has a bond order of 2, and a triple bond has a bond order of 3. So, the bond order essentially quantifies the number of shared electron pairs that make up the bond, making the bond order and the designation of single, double or triple bonds directly related.

Step-by-step solution

Define Bond Order

Bond order is the number of chemical bonds between a pair of atoms; in molecules, it is a measure of bond strength and therefore stability. It can be calculated as the number of bonding electrons minus the number of anti-bonding electrons divided by two.

Describe Single, Double and Triple Bonds

In a single bond, atoms are held together by one shared pair of electrons. In a double bond, atoms share two pairs of electrons, and in a triple bond, they share three pairs.

State the Relationship

The bond order corresponds to the type of bond that occurs between atoms. A single bond has a bond order of 1, double bond has a bond order of 2, and a triple bond has a bond order of 3. This basically means that the designation of single, double or triple bonds is directly related to the bond order; the greater the bond order, the stronger and shorter the bond.