The strength of a covalent bond generally increases as
- A. the bond length increases
- B. the bond length decreases and the bond order rises
- C. the atoms become larger
- D. the electronegativity difference falls to zero
Explanation
Shorter bonds hold the nuclei closer to the shared electrons, so more energy is needed to separate them, and each extra shared pair shortens the bond further. This is why the carbon to carbon triple bond is both the shortest and the strongest of the three. Larger atoms form longer and therefore weaker bonds, which is why bond strength falls down a group.