🚀 go-pugleaf

Two questions on bonding:

1. Boron trifluoride- Being that boron "survives" as an
electron deficient substance is known. From what I have read,
the answer to why it does seems a bit odd. The two most common
explanations are that there really is a resonating double bond
within the compound-and- since fluorine is SO electronegative,
there probably exists more ionic activity than we think. 

Can't both of these be measured empirically?

2. Bonds and environment-Given:

   CH4 ---> CH3 + H           E = 435 kj/mol
   CH3 ---> CH2 + H           E = 453 kj/mol
   CH2 ---> CH + H            E = 425 kj/mol
   CH ---> C + H              E = 339 kj/mol

Why? My reading has informed me that the differences are due to
the environmental situation of the C - H bond. HOW?

What's a good explanation for the odd trend in the above
example?
-- 
Kurt Grosshans
kgrossha@radford.vak12ed.edu