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Substances that can hydrogen bond will have (lower/higher) boiling and melting points.

A) Lower
B) Higher

User Span
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Substances capable of forming hydrogen bonds have higher boiling and melting points due to the strong intermolecular interactions. Water, which forms up to four hydrogen bonds, exemplifies this with its boiling point of 100°C.

Step-by-step explanation:

Substances that can form hydrogen bonds typically have higher boiling and melting points compared to those that do not. Hydrogen bonding occurs when a hydrogen atom is bonded to a highly electronegative element such as oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), or fluorine (F), allowing for the formation of these strong intermolecular interactions.


These interactions are significantly stronger than London dispersion forces, yet weaker than covalent bonds. For example, water (H₂O) can form up to four hydrogen bonds, resulting in its high boiling point of 100°C. In comparison, other compounds like HF and NH₃, though able to form hydrogen bonds, can only form two at a time on average, thereby having lower boiling points than water.


Therefore, the correct answer to the question is: Substances that can hydrogen bond will have higher boiling and melting points. Answer choice: B) Higher

User Nitish Kumar
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