What type of bond occurs due to attraction between a slightly positive hydrogen and a slightly negative atom elsewhere within a molecule?

• A. Ionic bond
• B. Covalent bond
• C. Hydrogen bond
• D. Polar

Answer: (C)

Hydrogen bonding occurs when a hydrogen atom that is covalently bonded to a highly electronegative atom carries a partial positive charge and is attracted to a lone pair on another electronegative atom nearby. This creates a specific dipole-dipole interaction where the slightly positive hydrogen is drawn toward the slightly negative atom elsewhere in the molecule. It’s a weaker, non-covalent attraction compared to sharing or transferring electrons, which is why it’s distinct from covalent or ionic bonds. A polar bond describes uneven electron distribution within a bond, but doesn’t by itself name the attraction between hydrogen and another electronegative atom; ionic bonds require full electron transfer to form charged ions, and covalent bonds involve actual sharing of electrons. So the described interaction is hydrogen bonding.