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Which of the following forms the most polar bond?

1) Oxygen and hydrogen
2) Carbon and hydrogen
3) Nitrogen and hydrogen
4) Fluorine and hydrogen

User VitoshKa
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The most polar bond among the options is the one between fluorine and hydrogen due to the highest electronegativity difference, resulting in a strong dipole moment and significant hydrogen bonding.

Step-by-step explanation:

Among the given options, fluorine and hydrogen form the most polar bond. Fluorine has the highest electronegativity of all elements, and when it forms a bond with hydrogen, the electronegativity difference is significant, leading to a very polar covalent bond. Specifically, the electronegativity of hydrogen is 2.1 and that of fluorine is 3.9, resulting in an electronegativity difference of 1.9. This large difference causes the electrons to be strongly drawn towards the fluorine atom, leaving the hydrogen atom electron-deficient and creating a strong dipole moment.

Hydrogen bonding is significant in molecules where hydrogen is bonded to highly electronegative elements such as fluorine, oxygen, or nitrogen. In the case of fluorine and hydrogen, the hydrogen atom acts almost as a bare proton due to the strong electron withdrawal by fluorine, facilitating strong hydrogen bonding with other molecules, which is a vital aspect in the molecule's strong intermolecular interactions.

While the bonds between hydrogen and other elements like oxygen and nitrogen are also polar, the bond with fluorine is the most polar due to the highest electronegativity of fluorine compared to oxygen and nitrogen. Hence, the bond between fluorine and hydrogen in HF (hydrofluoric acid) is the most polar among the options given.

User Eric Krantz
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