In chemistry, bond strength is measured between two atoms joined in a chemical bond.^[1] It is the degree to which each atom linked to a central atom contributes to the valency of this central atom. Bond strength is intimately linked to bond order.

Bond strength can be quantified by:

• bond energy: requires lengthy calculations, even for the simplest bonds.
• bond dissociation energy

Another criterion of bond strength is the qualitative relation between bond energies and the overlap of atomic orbitals of the bonds (Pauling and Mulliken). The more these overlap, the more the bonding electrons are to be found between the nuclei and hence stronger will be the bond. This overlap can be calculated and is called the overlap integral.

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