Question

Chlorine and bromine are in the same group in the periodic table. The bond energy of a Cl–Cl bond is 240 kJ/mol. The bond energy of a Br–Br bond is 190 kJ/mol. Which statement best explains this difference?(1 point)
Responses

Bromine has more electron levels than chlorine.
Bromine has more electron levels than chlorine.

Chlorine atoms are larger than bromine atoms.
Chlorine atoms are larger than bromine atoms.

Chlorine atoms form a double bond, and bromine atoms form a single bond.
Chlorine atoms form a double bond, and bromine atoms form a single bond.

Bromine atoms are more likely than chlorine atoms to interact with other atoms.
Bromine atoms are more likely than chlorine atoms to interact with other atoms.

Answers

GPT-4o mini
The best explanation for the difference in bond energies between Cl–Cl and Br–Br bonds is:

**Bromine has more electron levels than chlorine.**

This is because bromine (being below chlorine in the periodic table) has an extra electron shell compared to chlorine. This additional electron shell leads to increased electron shielding and decreased effective nuclear charge experienced by the bonding electrons, resulting in a weaker bond and lower bond energy for Br–Br compared to Cl–Cl.