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Let’s say X and Y bond together to create XY, where this reaction is exothermic. What I’m visualizing in my head is X and Y floating about with certain speeds, which contributes to their kinetic energy. But when they bind together, the kinetic energy of the X-Y system decreases, because their bonding is a perfectly inelastic collision.

But where does the missing energy go? Does it go to surrounding atoms, making them speed up faster? And how does it do that?—-I want an explanation on the level of moving subatomic particles and subatomic forces like Coloumb’s law. What forces cause the surrounding particles to move at a faster rate? And where does this force originate from?

According to this logic, all synthesis reactions should be exothermic, but this is obviously not the case. How can I visualize a synthesis reaction that is endothermic?

Or is this the wrong way to think about it?

Gunog Selrack
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    Looks like a duplicate of https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/13536/is-bond-formation-strictly-exothermic https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/119093/how-does-the-energy-released-during-a-bond-formation-typically-manifest-itself-o – Mithoron Dec 27 '21 at 23:19
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    And possibly a few other - too broad. – Mithoron Dec 27 '21 at 23:21
  • @Mithoron not exactly, my primary request is a visualization of how a bond can affect the speed of neighboring particles, my discussion about inelastic collisions is merely to elucidate what type of answer i want. – Gunog Selrack Dec 27 '21 at 23:22
  • In physics, the concept of energy can be derived from the concept of force, and vice versa. So we should be able to explain everything we can explain in terms of energy in terms of force. Thus there should be a “force” explanation of how bonds can affect the speed of neighboring particles – Gunog Selrack Dec 27 '21 at 23:24
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    Seems you didn't check the second link... also links which are there https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/143335/why-is-a-third-body-needed-in-the-recombination-of-two-hydrogen-atoms?noredirect=1&lq=1 https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/55914/how-is-heat-physically-released-in-an-exothermic-process – Mithoron Dec 28 '21 at 00:20
  • With interest for subatomic particles, energies/forces, your question likely is better suited for physics.se than chemistry.se. – Buttonwood Dec 29 '21 at 14:39

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