Bond Length

Bond Length

Bond length is defined as the equilibrium distance between the nuclei of two bonded atoms in a molecule. Both lengths are measured by spectroscopic, X-ray diffraction and electron-diffraction techniques. Each atom of the bonded pair contributes to the bond length. In the case of a covalent bond, the contribution from each atom is called the covalent radius of the atom.

The covalent radius is measured approximately as the radius of an atom’s core which is in contact with the core of an adjacent atom in a bonded situation. The covalent radius is half of the distance between two similar atoms joined by a covalent bond in the same molecule. The van der Waals radius represents the overall size of the atom which includes its valence shell in a nonbonded situation. Further, the van der Waals radius is half of the distance between two similar atoms in separate molecules in a solid. Covalent and van der Waals radii of chlorine are depicted in below figure.