Chemical Bond Questions: What does bond length exactly mean? Are double bonds stronger than single ones?

Question

I really want to know how to tell the bond length. I'm sure it's not like atomic radii, where you have two bonded atoms and see the distance from the two nuclei. In my book, it says that bond length is the average distance between two bonded atoms.

Also, Are double bonds stronger than single bonds?

Also, for resonance structures, for like SO2, why would there we more than one correct lewis structure. Can't you rotate the oxygens, so it's the same thing still?

If you could help, that would be awesome

Answer 1

A C-C bond length is longer than a C=C bond length. Double bonds are indeed stronger that single bonds. And as for the triple bond of nitrogen..., well, you know.

As to resonance structures, O=S=O is the same everywhere. But for other compounds, there is no resonance; there are no resonance structures. The compounds exist as they exist. We humans try to understand them and their bonding by drawing canonical structures and say that these canonical structures are in resonance with one another.... As if!

Answer 2

triple bonds are shorter than double bonds are shorter than single bonds.

single bonds are weaker than double bonds are weaker than triple bonds

the resonance structure just shows two possible resonance contributors, but drawing it either way should be the correct answer

Answer 3

click on the bonding page

bonds in hydrogen has a nice short and to the point video on bond lenth

http://www.kentchem
istry.com/moviesfiles/movi
eindex.htm

fix link