Which of the following statements about bond length is generally correct?

• A. Bond length is independent of the type of bond (single, double, triple) between atoms.
• B. A triple bond between two atoms is shorter than a double bond between the same atoms.
• C. Bond length increases as the number of shared electron pairs increases.
• D. A single bond between two atoms is shorter than a double bond between the same atoms.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that bond length refers to the average distance between the nuclei of two bonded atoms.
2. Recall that bond length is influenced by the bond order, which is the number of shared electron pairs between atoms (single bond = 1, double bond = 2, triple bond = 3).
3. Recognize that as the bond order increases, the atoms are pulled closer together due to stronger attractive forces, resulting in a shorter bond length.
4. Therefore, a triple bond (bond order 3) is shorter than a double bond (bond order 2), and a double bond is shorter than a single bond (bond order 1).
5. Conclude that the correct general statement is: 'A triple bond between two atoms is shorter than a double bond between the same atoms.'