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 ▸

Why is the enthalpy of hydration of a chloride ion more negative than that of a bromide ion, using your knowledge of the attractive forces involved.


What is a stereoisomer?


How do you decide what the sign of the enthalpy change should be?


Why is the first ionisation energy of Potassium less than Sodium?