Question

The electronegativity values of carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen are compared in the table.

Comparison of
Electronegativity
Element Electronegativity
Carbon
2.5
Hydrogen 2.1
Nitrogen 3.0
Which of the following statements is true about the strength of the intermolecular forces in CH4 and NH3? (4 points)

Answer 1

C. CH₄ is less than NH₃ because the NH bond is more polar than the CH bond

Step-by-step explanation:

The intermolecular forces between ammonia is far stronger than for methane. Between the molecules of ammonia we have the presence of hydrogen bonds. This bond is absent in methane.

Hydrogen bonds are one of the strongest intermolecular forces. It is as a result of the electrostatic attraction between the hydrogen atom of one molecule and the electronegative atom N, O and F of another molecule.

• This strong interaction is absent in methane which has just dipole - dipole attraction.

The strength of the hydrogen bond depends on the electronegativity of the combining atoms.