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Why are hydrogen bonds stronger than dipole forces?

a) Hydrogen bonds involve the sharing of electrons.
b) Hydrogen bonds result from the attraction between partially positive hydrogen and electronegative atoms.
c) Dipole forces occur only in nonpolar molecules.
d) Dipole forces are limited to covalent compounds.

1 Answer

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Final answer:

Hydrogen bonds are stronger than dipole forces due to the strong electrostatic attraction between a partially positive hydrogen and highly electronegative atoms like F, O, or N, constituting a powerful dipole-dipole interaction.

Step-by-step explanation:

Hydrogen bonds are stronger than dipole forces because they result from the attraction between a partially positive hydrogen atom and a highly electronegative atom like fluorine, oxygen, or nitrogen. This makes hydrogen bonds a specific type of strong dipole-dipole interaction. While dipole-dipole forces occur between polar molecules where regions of opposite charge attract, hydrogen bonding is more robust due to the significant differences in electronegativity and the small size of the hydrogen atom, which allows for closer approach between dipoles.

Therefore, the correct answer is b) Hydrogen bonds result from the attraction between partially positive hydrogen and electronegative atoms. This electrostatic attraction is what gives rise to a hydrogen bond and is why they are generally stronger than other types of dipole-dipole attractions, such as those forces seen in a molecule of hydrogen chloride aligning oppositely charged regions with its neighbors.

However, it's important to remember that despite the term "bond", hydrogen bonds are intermolecular forces rather than intramolecular covalent bonds, and while they are stronger than dipole forces, they are much weaker than covalent bonds.

User Paul Syfrett
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