From Tony Sollars, Holmer Green, Buckinghamshire, UK
David Hambling says: “In molecular nitrogen, two atoms are connected by a triple bond that releases a load of energy when broken” (29 July, p 36). But you need to put in energy to break bonds. This is why nitrogen is such a stable and inert molecule.
I spent my whole teaching career telling chemistry students this. Energy is released on forming new bonds. One should not say that bonds are energy-rich. Rather, the products of a reaction have yet stronger bonds.
