Why is the normal boiling point of hydrogen chloride so much lower than that of hydrogen fluoride?

Question

Question 23 options:

a) HCl molecules are polar
b) HF molecules are non-polar
c) The difference in electronegativity is greatest between H and Cl
d) The forces formed between HCl molecules are weaker than between HF molecules
e) The difference in electronegativity is lowest between H and F

is the correct answer is d)?

Answer 1

Yes, the correct answer is d) The forces formed between HCl molecules are weaker than between HF molecules. The strength of intermolecular forces determines the boiling point of a substance. In the case of hydrogen chloride (HCl) and hydrogen fluoride (HF), HF has stronger intermolecular forces due to hydrogen bonding between the hydrogen atom in HF and the highly electronegative fluorine atom. This results in stronger attractive forces between HF molecules and a higher boiling point compared to HCl, which does not form hydrogen bonds and has weaker intermolecular forces.