Non-covalent interactions
A hydrogen bond (H-bond), is a specific type of interaction that involves dipole-dipole attraction between a partially positive hydrogen atom and a highly electronegative, partially negative oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, or fluorine atom (not covalently bound to said hydrogen atom). It is not a covalent bond, but instead is classified as a strong non-covalent interaction. It is responsible for why water is a liquid at room temperature and not a gas (given water's low molecular weight). Most commonly, the strength of hydrogen bonds lies between 0 - 4 kcal/mol, but can sometimes be as strong as 40 kcal/mol In solvents such as chloroform or carbontetrachloride one observes e.g. for the interaction between amides additive values of about 5 kJ/mol. According to L. Pauling the strength of a hydrogen bond is essentially determined by the electrostatic charges. Measurements of thousands complexes in chloroform or carbontetrachloride have led to additive free energy increments for all kind of donor-acceptor combinations.
Hydrochloric acid
As a strong acid, hydrogen chloride has a large "K". Theoretical attempts to assign the p"K" of hydrogen chloride have been made, with the most recent estimate being −5.9. However, it is important to distinguish between hydrogen chloride gas and hydrochloric acid. Due to the leveling effect, except when highly concentrated and behavior deviates from ideality, "hydrochloric acid" (aqueous HCl) is only as acidic as the strongest proton donor available in water, the aquated proton (popularly known as "hydronium ion"). When chloride salts such as NaCl are added to aqueous HCl, they have only a minor effect on pH, indicating that Cl is a very weak conjugate base and that HCl is fully dissociated in aqueous solution. Dilute solutions of HCl have a pH close to that predicted by assuming full dissociation into hydrated H and Cl.