bond length

Bond length or bond distance is defined as the average distance between nuclei of two covalently bonded atoms in a molecule. Bond length is related to bond order: when more electrons participate in bond formation the bond is shorter. Bond length is also inversely related to bond energy and the bond dissociation energy: all other factors being equal, a stronger bond will be shorter. In a bond between two identical atoms, half the bond distance is equal to the covalent radius.

A bond between a given pair of atoms may vary between different molecules. For example, the carbon to hydrogen bonds in methane are different from those in methyl chloride. It is however possible to make generalizations when the general structure is the same.