In general, how strong are hydrogen bonds compared to typical covalent bonds?

Hydrogen bonds are generally considered to be much weaker than typical covalent bonds. While covalent bonds involve the sharing of electrons between atoms and have bond energies that typically range anywhere from 150 to over 400 kJ/mol, hydrogen bonds have significantly lower bond energies — usually around 10 to 40 kJ/mol.

The answer provided indicates that hydrogen bonds are about 1/10 as strong as covalent bonds, which aligns well with the typical values observed in chemistry. This comparative strength highlights the relative nature of these interactions; while they are essential for the properties of substances like water and biological molecules such as DNA, their weaker nature compared to covalent bonds means that they can break and reform easily, allowing for dynamic interactions in chemical systems.

This understanding is key for discussions on molecular structure, properties of substances, and how different types of bonds influence the behavior of compounds in various contexts.