Why doesn't chlorine form hydrogen bonds even though it is more electronegative than nitrogen?

Chlorine has a higher electronegativity, but as it has a large atomic radius the electron density is spread out over a large area. This means that the electron density is too low to form proper hydrogen bonds, and will only be attracted via dipole-dipole attraction.

CL

Related Chemistry A Level answers

All answers ▸

Which Medical Schools Should I apply to?


Explain what happens to a crystal of iodine when it is heated (5marks)


What is the mechanism for the nucleophilic substitution of a halogenoalkane?


Why do the boiling points of the hydrogen halides increase as you go down the group from HCl to HI?