Kohäsionsenergie

Kohäsionsenergie refers to the energy required to separate the constituent particles of a substance, such as atoms or molecules, to infinity. It is a measure of the strength of the forces holding these particles together. In essence, it is the energy that must be supplied to overcome these attractive forces and render the system unbound. For solids, this concept is closely related to the binding energy and the energy needed to cause fracture or complete disintegration. The term is often encountered in the context of condensed matter physics and materials science. High Kohäsionsenergie indicates a strongly bound material that is difficult to deform or break apart. Conversely, a low Kohäsionsenergie suggests a material that is relatively easily separated. It can be thought of as the negative of the energy of formation from separated constituent particles. When particles are brought together to form a stable bound state, energy is released, and this released energy is equal in magnitude to the Kohäsionsenergie of the resulting system. Therefore, to break the system apart, an equivalent amount of energy must be supplied. This energy is also related to the tensile strength of a material, as it represents the resistance to being pulled apart.