Question

Will two ethane molecules form hydrogen bonds with each other. Why or why not?

Answer 1

No, two ethane molecules ca not form hydrogen bonding.

Why not?

To understand this, we must see when and where hydrogen bonding can occur-

A hydrogen bond is the electromagnetic attraction between polar molecules in which hydrogen is bound to a larger atom, such as oxygen or nitrogen. This is not a sharing of electrons, as in a covalent bond. Instead, this is an attraction between the positive and negative poles of charged atoms.

For hydrogen bond formation, two conditions MUST be meet
1. A "loosely" bonded hydrogen with a partial positive charges, or in other words, a polar covalent bond,
2. A highly electronegative atom (these are usually F, Cl, O) in a polar bond with a partial negative charge.

Ethane does not meet these criteria.