Attraction between hydrogen and highly electronegative atoms called?

• A. Hydrogen Bond
• B. Intermolecular Forces
• C. Covalent Bond
• D. Ionic Bond

Answer: (A)

Hydrogen bonds are a special kind of intermolecular attraction that occurs when hydrogen is covalently bonded to a highly electronegative atom (usually nitrogen, oxygen, or fluorine). This pairing creates a strong dipole: the electronegative atom pulls electron density toward itself, giving the hydrogen a partial positive charge. That positively charged hydrogen is then attracted to a lone pair on another electronegative atom nearby, forming a directional, relatively strong bond between molecules or parts of a molecule.

This is stronger than typical van der Waals forces but weaker than covalent or ionic bonds, and it’s specific to the H–N/O/F interaction. It’s not a covalent bond (no sharing of electrons within the molecule) and not an ionic bond (no transfer of electrons to form ions).