Which statement best describes HF?

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Multiple Choice

Which statement best describes HF?

Electronegativity difference dictates how polar a bond is. Fluorine is the most electronegative element, and hydrogen is much less electronegative, so in hydrogen fluoride the shared electrons are drawn strongly toward fluorine. This creates a polar covalent bond with a partial positive charge on hydrogen and a partial negative charge on fluorine, giving HF a sizable dipole moment. That’s why the best description is that it has a large electronegativity difference leading to polarity. The other ideas don’t fit because a nonpolar bond would require near-equal sharing of electrons, which isn’t the case here; the difference in electronegativity is not small; and the bond is not nonpolar covalent—it's polar covalent with significant polarity.

Electronegativity difference dictates how polar a bond is. Fluorine is the most electronegative element, and hydrogen is much less electronegative, so in hydrogen fluoride the shared electrons are drawn strongly toward fluorine. This creates a polar covalent bond with a partial positive charge on hydrogen and a partial negative charge on fluorine, giving HF a sizable dipole moment. That’s why the best description is that it has a large electronegativity difference leading to polarity.

The other ideas don’t fit because a nonpolar bond would require near-equal sharing of electrons, which isn’t the case here; the difference in electronegativity is not small; and the bond is not nonpolar covalent—it's polar covalent with significant polarity.

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