Use the chemical equation to answer the question. CH4+2O2 → 2H2O+CO2

Question

This is the chemical equation for the burning of methane gas, a process that produces a flame. What is true about the bonds?
A. The breaking of chemical bonds releases energy.
B. The breaking of chemical bonds absorbs energy.
C. The total potential energy stored in bonds are not changed.
D. No new bonds are formed.

Answer 1

In the context of the combustion of methane (CH4), the correct statement regarding the bonds is:

B. The breaking of chemical bonds absorbs energy.

When chemical bonds in the reactants (methane and oxygen) break, energy is required to overcome the bond energies. However, during the formation of new bonds (in the products: water and carbon dioxide), energy is released. The overall process of combustion is exothermic, meaning that the energy released during product bond formation is greater than the energy absorbed to break the bonds in the reactants, resulting in a net release of energy in the form of heat and light.