Which of the following best describes what occurs when chemical bonds break and new bonds form during a chemical reaction?

• A. The atoms themselves are destroyed and replaced by new atoms.
• B. No change occurs to the substances involved.
• C. Atoms are rearranged, resulting in the formation of new substances.
• D. Energy is always absorbed and no energy is released.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that during a chemical reaction, the fundamental particles involved are atoms, which are the smallest units of elements that retain their identity.
2. Recognize that chemical bonds are the forces holding atoms together in molecules or compounds, and breaking these bonds requires energy input, while forming new bonds releases energy.
3. Recall the Law of Conservation of Mass, which states that atoms are neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction; instead, they are simply rearranged.
4. Conclude that the process of breaking old bonds and forming new bonds leads to the rearrangement of atoms, resulting in the formation of new substances with different properties.
5. Note that energy changes occur during bond breaking and formation, but energy can be either absorbed or released depending on the reaction, so it is not always absorbed.