Bond order, a key concept in chemistry, quantifies the strength of a chemical bond between atoms in a molecule. It reflects the number of electron pairs shared between bonded atoms, providing insights into molecular stability and reactivity. For instance, double bonds, with two shared electron pairs, are typically stronger than single bonds with only one shared pair.
Understanding bond order is crucial for comprehending chemical bonding, molecular properties, and predicting reactivity. Its historical development, from Lewis’s electron-pair theory to molecular orbital theory, has deepened our understanding of chemical bonding.