Question

Hydrogen bonds can be found between molecules of which substance?

Responses

CH4
uppercase C uppercase H subscript 4 end superscript

H2O
uppercase H subscript 2 end superscript uppercase O

C3H8
uppercase C subscript 3 end superscript uppercase H subscript 8 end superscript

HI

Answer 1

H2O.

Water molecules form hydrogen bonds because hydrogen is bonded to a highly electronegative atom (oxygen) and can interact with lone pairs on neighboring O atoms. CH4 and C3H8 have H bonded to carbon (not electronegative), and HI does not form hydrogen bonds (iodine is too large/less electronegative); their intermolecular forces are mainly dispersion and, for HI, dipole interactions.