Suppose the interaction between two atoms has the effective potential energy curve shown below:

I have marked the vertical scale on this graph using an arbitrary energy unit we'll call bondits.
-If the atoms have 10 bondits of kinetic energy at infinity, what energy must we remove to form a bond?

Question

Suppose the interaction between two atoms has the effective potential energy curve shown below:
  
I have marked the vertical scale on this graph using an arbitrary energy unit we'll call bondits.
-If the atoms have 10 bondits of kinetic energy at infinity, what energy must we remove to form a bond?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

(If the system has 10 bondits of kinetic energy at infinity (where the potential energy is
zero), then its total energy must also be 10 bondits. To form the bond, we must reduce the
system's energy below the outer peak at r = 0.5 nm, that is, below 5 bondits. This will require
reducing the system's energy by at least 5 bondits.)

Suppose the Interaction Between Two Atoms Has the Effective Potential