Term: bond enthalpy https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08147 Definition: Average value of the gas-phase bond-dissociation enthalpies (usually at a temperature of \(\pu{298 K}\)) for all bonds of the same type within the same chemical species. Note: More commonly, tabulated mean bond energies (which are really enthalpies) are values of bond enthalpies averaged over a number of selected chemical species containing that type of bond, such as \(\pu{414 kJ mol-1}\) for \(\ce{C-H}\) bonds in a group of \(\ce{R3CH}\) (\(\ce{R = H}\), alkyl). Example: For methane, the mean bond enthalpy is <span title="numeric value with unit">\(\pu{415.9 kJ mol-1}\)</span>, one-fourth the enthalpy of reaction for <span title="reaction">\[\ce{CH4 (g) -> C (g) + 4H (g)}\]</span> Example: Array Link: Related Term: bond-dissociation enthalpies (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08146). Source: PAC, 2022, 94, 353. 'Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 2021)' on page 372 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2018-1010) Citation: 'bond enthalpy' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.08147 License: The IUPAC Gold Book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) for individual terms. Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.