Question

Explain, why is the boiling point of hydrogen fluoride higher than that of hydrogen chloride?

Answer 1

1. Hydrogen fluoride (HF) has a higher boiling point than hydrogen chloride (HCl) due to the presence of strong hydrogen bonding between HF molecules.
2. HF molecules associate through hydrogen bonds because fluorine is highly electronegative and small in size.
3. HCl molecules do not show hydrogen bonding because chlorine is less electronegative and larger, so only weak van der Waals forces exist.
4. Hydrogen bonding in HF leads to stronger intermolecular forces, resulting in a higher boiling point compared to HCl, which only has weak forces between molecules.