Multiple Choice
Which of the following best explains why the boiling point of H_2O is higher than that of Cl_2?
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13. Liquids, Solids & Intermolecular Forces
Intermolecular Forces and Physical Properties
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Which of the following compounds is expected to have the highest boiling point due to hydrogen bonding?
A
NH3
B
CO2
C
CH4
D
H2O
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify which compounds can exhibit hydrogen bonding. Hydrogen bonding occurs when hydrogen is directly bonded to highly electronegative atoms such as nitrogen (N), oxygen (O), or fluorine (F).
Analyze each compound: NH\_3 has N-H bonds, CO\_2 has no hydrogen atoms, CH\_4 has C-H bonds (which do not participate in hydrogen bonding), and H\_2O has O-H bonds.
Recognize that only NH\_3 and H\_2O can form hydrogen bonds because they contain hydrogen bonded to N or O, respectively.
Understand that hydrogen bonding significantly increases boiling points due to strong intermolecular attractions, so compounds with stronger or more hydrogen bonds will have higher boiling points.
Compare the strength and number of hydrogen bonds: H\_2O forms two hydrogen bonds per molecule (due to two O-H bonds and lone pairs on oxygen), while NH\_3 forms fewer and weaker hydrogen bonds, leading to H\_2O having the highest boiling point among the given compounds.
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