Which of the following is required for reactants to form chemical bonds during a reaction?

• A. The reactant particles must be in a solid state only.
• B. The reactant particles must have identical electronegativities.
• C. The reactant particles must be at absolute zero temperature.
• D. The reactant particles must collide with sufficient energy and proper orientation.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that for a chemical reaction to occur, reactant particles must come into contact with each other; this is known as collision theory.
2. Recognize that not all collisions lead to a reaction; the particles must collide with enough energy to overcome the activation energy barrier. This energy is called the activation energy.
3. Note that the orientation of the colliding particles is also crucial because only certain alignments allow the formation of new chemical bonds.
4. Eliminate incorrect options: reactants do not have to be in a solid state (they can be gases, liquids, or solids), they do not need identical electronegativities, and they cannot be at absolute zero since particles would have no kinetic energy to collide.
5. Conclude that the essential requirement is that reactant particles must collide with sufficient energy and proper orientation to form chemical bonds during a reaction.