To solve energy change problems, the steps should be organized in a logical sequence. Here is the best order:
- determine the types of bonds and which elements are bonded using Lewis models
- balance the equation
- locate bond energies from a table and find the sum of bond energies for each bond in the reactants and repeat for the products
- solve [energy of reactants] - [energy of products]
This order helps ensure that you first understand the molecular structure of the reactants and products before proceeding through the calculations.