Which of the following distinguishes hydrogen bonds from covalent bonds?

• A. Hydrogen bonds only occur between nonpolar molecules.
• B. Hydrogen bonds involve the sharing of electrons between atoms.
• C. Covalent bonds are weaker than hydrogen bonds.
• D. Hydrogen bonds are intermolecular forces, while covalent bonds are intramolecular forces.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the nature of covalent bonds: Covalent bonds involve the sharing of electron pairs between atoms within a molecule, making them intramolecular forces that hold atoms together.
2. Understand the nature of hydrogen bonds: Hydrogen bonds are a type of intermolecular force that occurs when a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a highly electronegative atom (like N, O, or F) interacts with a lone pair of electrons on another electronegative atom in a different molecule or a different part of the same molecule.
3. Compare the strength and type of forces: Covalent bonds are generally much stronger because they involve actual sharing of electrons, whereas hydrogen bonds are weaker and arise from electrostatic attractions between molecules.
4. Recognize that hydrogen bonds do not involve electron sharing between atoms but rather an attraction between partial charges on different molecules, distinguishing them from covalent bonds.
5. Conclude that the key distinction is that hydrogen bonds are intermolecular forces (between molecules), while covalent bonds are intramolecular forces (within molecules).