Question

Which of the following bonds is least reactive? C—C H—H O—H H—Cl

Answer 1

The correct option is H - H
Compare to other type of bonds given above, the hydrogen to hydrogen bond is very unreactive. This is because the bond is very stable. Each of the hydrogen atom in the bond donate their single electron to form a covalent bond, which is quite stable.

Answer 2

$\boxed{{\text{H}} - {\text{H bond}}}$ is the least reactive among the given bonds.

Further explanation:

Chemical bond:

The attraction between atoms, molecules or ions that is responsible for the formation of chemical compounds is known as a chemical bond. It is formed either due to electrostatic forces or by the sharing of electrons. There are many strong bonds such as ionic bonds, covalent bonds, and metallic bonds while some weak bonds like dipole-dipole interactions, London dispersion forces, and hydrogen bonding also exist.

Octet rule:

According to this rule, the elements have the tendency to bond with other elements in order to acquire eight electrons in their valence shells. This results in achieving a stable noble gas configuration. Generally, all elements obey octet rule but there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, Be and B do not follow the octet rule.

C-C bond

The atomic number of carbon is 6 so its electronic configuration is $1{s^2}2{s^2}2{p^2}$. It has four valence electrons in its valence shell. It can form four covalent bonds with other elements. But in the C-C bond, there is only one bond formed between both the carbon atoms, leading to their incomplete octet. So C-C bond is not stable and thus highly reactive in nature.

H-H bond

The atomic number of hydrogen is 1 and its electronic configuration is $1{s^1}$. It has one valence electron in it. It can form one covalent bond with any other element in order to complete its duplet. One bond is present between two hydrogen atoms in the H-H bond. Also, two 1s orbitals are overlapped in order to form this bond and this overlapping is highly effective in nature. So H-H bond is stable and thus not at all reactive in nature.

O-H bond

The atomic number of oxygen is 8 so its electronic configuration is $1{s^2}2{s^2}2{p^4}$. It has six valence electrons in it. The atomic number of hydrogen is 1 and its electronic configuration is $1{s^1}$. It has only one valence electron in its valence shell. Oxygen needs two electrons to complete its octet while hydrogen needs only one electron. But there is one single bond between O and H in the O-H bond. So O-H bond is not stable and thus reactive in nature.

H-Cl bond

The atomic number of chlorine is 17 and its electronic configuration is $1{s^2}2{s^2}2{p^6}3{s^2}3{p^5}$. It has seven valence electrons in it. The atomic number of hydrogen is 1 and its electronic configuration is $1{s^1}$. It has only one valence electron in its valence shell. The octet of both atoms is complete in H-Cl bond but 1s and 3p orbitals are overlapping in this case that is not so effective. So H-Cl bond is somewhat reactive in nature.

Therefore H-H bond is the least reactive among the given bonds.

Learn more:

1. Which molecule cannot be adequately described by a single Lewis structure/ brainly.com/question/6786947

2. Do carbon dioxide and water have the same geometry? brainly.com/question/2176581

Answer details:

Grade: High School

Subject: Chemistry

Chapter: Chemical bonding and molecular structure

Keywords: octet rule, chemical bond, H-H bond, H-Cl bond, C-C bond, O-H bond, atomic number, 1, 17, 6, 4, attraction, overlapping.