Question

Is a single covalent bond the strongest?

Answer 1

No, but the type of bond that forms a single bond is the strongest.

Explanation:

Double bonds are stronger than single bonds, and triple bonds are stronger than double bonds - but the types of bonds in each one are stronger in the single bond.

Covalent bonds are formed by orbitals of electrons merging between two atoms. This can be a head-on overlap called a `sigma` (sigma) bond, or a side-on connection called a `pi` bond.

Obviously the `sigma`-bond is stronger because it is two orbitals directly merging into each other, while the `pi`-bond is the weaker.

A single bond consists of only one bond, a `sigma`, while double bond include `1sigma+1pi` and triple bond have `1sigma+2pi`. You can only have a single `sigma` between two atoms for geometric reasons.

But even though some of the bonds making up, for example, a triple bond, are weaker than the bonds making up a single bond, there are still more of them, so a triple bond is still stronger than a single bond.

You could also say that the net strength of three single bonds is stronger than the strength of one triple bond.