HF has highest boiling point among hydrogen halides, because it has:
- (A)lowest dissociation enthalpy
- (B)strongest van der Waals' interactions
- (C)strongest hydrogen bonding✓ Correct
- (D)lowest ionic character
Answer: (C)
Solution
Among the hydrogen halides, HF stands apart because fluorine is so strongly electronegative that neighbouring molecules associate through unusually strong hydrogen bonds. Breaking that extensive hydrogen bonding demands a great deal of energy, which is why HF boils far higher than HCl, HBr or HI despite its smaller molecular mass.
JEE Main · 2019 · 09 Apr 2019 · Shift 2 · Single correct option