Final answer:
Hydrogen bonding is the attraction between a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a strongly electronegative molecule, like F, O, or N, and a lone pair of electrons on a neighboring molecule. This intermolecular force results in very strong dipole-dipole interactions that influence the properties of compounds like water.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct description of hydrogen bonding is the attraction between hydrogen and lone electron pairs of a strongly electronegative molecule. Hydrogen bonding is an important intermolecular force that plays a crucial role in determining the properties of many compounds, particularly water and biological molecules like DNA.
Hydrogen bonds are intermolecular attractive forces in which a hydrogen atom, covalently bonded to a small, highly electronegative atom like fluorine (F), oxygen (O), or nitrogen (N), is attracted to a lone pair of electrons on a neighboring molecule. These bonds result in exceptionally strong dipole-dipole interactions that are significant in molecules like water, where the hydrogen atoms are bound to a highly electronegative oxygen atom. The partially positive hydrogen atom of one water molecule is attracted to the partially negative oxygen atom of a nearby water molecule.
It's important to understand that these hydrogen bonds are stronger than typical dipole-dipole interactions but are still much weaker than covalent bonds, with a typical hydrogen bond being about 5% as strong as a covalent bond. This strength of attraction gives rise to many of the unique properties of water and other substances that can form hydrogen bonds, such as higher boiling points, viscosity, and surface tension.