CHEMISTRY COMMUNITY

How can we tell if something is in its most stable form? I assumed diatomic molecules like O2, H2, and N2 were in their most stable state but in Lyndon's worksheet for week 4, Q1.A we plugged in bond enthalpies. This must've been explained at the time but I forgot. Does it depend on the reaction?

You can tell by calculating the formal charges of each bond ([# of valence electrons on atom] – [non-bonded electrons + number of bonds]). A molecule is most stable when the formal charge of as many of its bonds as possible are at or near 0.