Bond Lengths

[Olivia D 3B]

Conceptually, why is it that double bonds have shorter distances than single bonds? Does this mean that triple bonds have the shortest distance?

[Jenny Han 3F]

Double bonds are stronger than single bonds because the atoms share more electrons. As a result, the stronger bond pulls the electrons closer to the atoms and decreases the bond length. By this same logic, triple bonds are even shorter than double bonds. Hope this helps!

[Aneesha_Nema_3C]

Yeah, you're right that triple bonds would have the shortest bond lengths because as the bond order between two atoms increases, the bond length decreases. The more bonds atoms have, the stronger they have and the closer they pull the electrons together between the two atoms.

[Tristan Friet 3G]

Single bonds are sigma bonds only. In double bonds there is overlap between pi orbitals. With more overlap, there will be shorter distance between the atoms.

[Denise Chavez 2G]

Double bonds are shorter than single bonds because the double bonds are stronger than single bonds since four electrons are shared rather than two, due to the stronger bond the electrons are pulled closer to the atom, which means that triple bonds have an even shorter bond length since the bond is stronger due to six electrons being shared.

[Jieun 2C]

Double bonds are shorter because double bonds are stronger than single bonds, which results in the electrons being pulled closer together which explains the shorter bond length. And yes, a triple bond is shorter because it is stronger than both double and single bonds, so it pulls the electrons even closer together.

[Madison Rhynhart 3H]

Conceptually, the double bonds (covalent) are stronger than the single bonds (ionic) and therefore pull the electrons closer resulting in shorter bond lengths whereas the ionic bonds have less strength and cannot pull the electrons as close.

[LukeYing_3H]

Since double bonds are stronger, they have a stronger attraction between atoms, which leads to the atoms being closer together

[Megan Cai 1H]

Hi! Double bonds have a shorter distance between them than single bonds because they are stronger since they share another pair of electrons between them. The bond pulls the electrons closer to the positively charged nuclei, making the bond shorter. A similar phenomenon happens with the atomic radius period trend

[Brooke Gushiken 1B]

Hi! Double bonds are stronger than single bonds because there are more shared electrons between them, which is pulled by the nuclei that has a positive charge. Therefore, the connected atoms will be pulled closer together, and making their bond length shorter as well. This is also why a triple bond would be the strongest but shortest out of them all. I hope this helps!

[masontsang]

Hi!

Since double bonds have more shared electrons (compared to single bonds) between the nuclei of the two atoms, they have a shorter bond length. Since the nucleus of an atom is positively charged and the electrons shared between the atoms are negatively charged, as more electrons are shared, the more attracted the nuclei will be and the shorter the bond length will become. I hope this helps!

[Erin Woolmore 1C]

Conceptually, the double bonds (covalent) are stronger than the single bonds (ionic) and therefore pull the electrons closer resulting in shorter bond lengths whereas the ionic bonds have less strength and cannot pull the electrons as close.

Are double bonds always only covalent, and single bonds always only ionic?

[austinchun]

Conceptually, the double bonds (covalent) are stronger than the single bonds (ionic) and therefore pull the electrons closer resulting in shorter bond lengths whereas the ionic bonds have less strength and cannot pull the electrons as close.

Are double bonds always only covalent, and single bonds always only ionic?

Hello! I believe that both covalent and ionic bonds can either be single, double, or triple and are not limited to only single or double bonds.

[Mason_Hoppe_1A]

As others have mentioned, double bonds are shorter than single bonds and triple bonds are shorter than double bonds; however, it is important to know that the graph of bond length by bond type (single, double, triple) is not linear, meaning a double bond is not twice a single bond, rather the decrease in size can be modeled as exponential decay.

[305561744]

Which tend to be longer, Ionic or Covalent bonds? Can both become double/tripple?

[Tianle Zheng]

Hi, the more bond an atom have the smaller the distance between two atoms. Therefore a triple bond indeed has the shortest in-between distance. However, the distance between two atom also depends on the type of element it is.

[Kathryn Heinemeier 3H]

Since the bond is stronger it pulls the atom in more, decreasing the distance, so the same trend would continue for the triple bond.

[Connor_Olsen_2K]

They are shorter as they are sharing more electrons, which means there is a greater pull for each atom, brining them closer together.

[LouiseLin2L]

Because double bonds are sharing more electrons than single bonds are, they pull electrons closer, leading to shorter bond length, and so triple bonds, with more electrons shared, should have shorter length than that of double bonds.

[505734174]

Since double bonds share more electrons than single bonds, the attraction between the two atoms is stronger and therefore, the nuclei of the atoms are closer together which signifies a shorter bond length.

[Amy Huynh 1B]

Hi!

You are correct about the bond length decreasing with double bond and then triple bond. This is because as bond strength increases, the two atoms are pulled closer together. Therefore, there is a shorter distance between them as the strength increases.