kJ/mol

kilojoule per mole

Molar energyexact by definition

The kilojoule per mole is the standard unit of chemical energy, exactly 1000 J/mol by decimal prefix. A covalent single bond runs 150 to 500 kJ/mol, a hydrogen bond about 20, and the combustion of methane releases 890 kJ/mol. It is the unit of every table of standard enthalpies of formation.

Watch out: Watch the sign convention. An exothermic reaction has a negative ΔH, because the system loses energy, even though the surroundings get hotter. A bond dissociation energy is positive because breaking a bond costs energy.

1 kJ/mol 1 kJ/mol