Question 8.16: Use bond enthalpies from Table 8.6 to estimate the enthalpy ...
Use bond enthalpies from Table 8.6 to estimate the enthalpy of reaction for the combustion of methane:
CH4(g) + 2O2(g) → CO2(g) + 2H2O(l)
Strategy Draw Lewis structures to determine what bonds are to be broken and what bonds are to be formed.
Setup
Bonds to break: 4 C—H and 2 O=O.
Bonds to form: 2 C=O and 4 H—O.
Bond enthalpies from Table 8.6: 414 kJ/mol (C—H), 498.7 kJ/mol (O=O), 799 kJ/mol (C=O in CO2), and 460 kJ/mol (H—O).
TABLE 8.6 | Bond Enthalpies | ||
Bond | Bond Enthalpy (kJ/mol) | Bond | Bond Enthalpy (kJ/mol) |
H-H* | 436.4 | N-N | 193 |
H-N | 393 | N=N | 418 |
H-O | 460 | N-N | 941.4 |
H-S | 368 | N-O | 176 |
H-P | 326 | N=O | 607 |
H-F | 568.2 | N-F | 272 |
H-Cl | 431.9 | N-Cl | 200 |
H-Br | 366.1 | N-Br | 243 |
H-I | 298.3 | N-I | 159 |
C-H | 414 | O-O | 142 |
C-C | 347 | O=O | 498.7 |
C=C | 620 | O-P | 502 |
C≡C | 812 | O=S | 469 |
C-N | 276 | O-F | 190 |
C=N | 615 | O-Cl | 203 |
C≡N | 891 | O-Br | 234 |
C-O | 351 | O-I | 234 |
C=O† | 745 | P-P | 197 |
C≡O | 1070 | P=P | 489 |
C-P | 263 | S-S | 268 |
C-S | 255 | S=S | 352 |
C=S | 477 | F-F | 156.9 |
C-F | 453 | Cl-Cl | 242.7 |
C-Cl | 339 | Cl-F | 193 |
C-Br | 276 | Br-Br | 192.5 |
C-I | 216 | I-I | 151 |
*Bond enthalpies shown in red are for diatomic molecules. †The C=O bond enthalpy in CO2 is 799 kJ/mol. |

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[4(414 kJ/mol) + 2(498.7 kJ/mol)] – [2(799 kJ/mol) + 4(460 kJ/mol)] = -785 kJ/mol.
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