Final answer:
Covalent bonds are significantly stronger than hydrogen bonds. A covalent bond strength, like that of an O-H bond, is about 492 kJ mol-1 compared to a hydrogen bond's approximately 23 kJ mol-1.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question of whether a hydrogen bond or a covalent bond is stronger can be answered by comparing the energies required to break them. A hydrogen bond is an intermolecular attractive force where a hydrogen atom that is covalently bonded to a highly electronegative atom is attracted to a lone pair of electrons on an atom in a neighboring molecule. Even though it is significantly stronger than other types of dipole-dipole interactions and dispersion forces, a hydrogen bond is much weaker than a covalent bond. For instance, the typical strength of a hydrogen bond is about 23 kJ mol-1, whereas an O-H covalent bond has a strength of approximately 492 kJ mol-1, demonstrating that the covalent bond is much stronger.