But regardless, clearly my knowledge on this subject is lacking, so could you explain why my book says that it will form a hydrogen bond when it doesn't? I just don't understand this subject.
Because it does form hydrogen bonds. With itself, and likely with water too. That's what "forms hydrogen bonds" means. I don't know why you said it at the beginning of the thread, and why you keep saying it when we correct you.
Look at the properties of water, which hydrogen bonds,compared to other elements which don't.And compare the boiling point of 1-decanol, and decane,and longer hydrocarbons.
[EDIT]
Like you've said, decanol is non-polar. But what does that have to do with hydrogen bonding, by any definition?
I am not saying being polar has anything to do with hydrogen bonds, I asked if it did but now I know that it does not. I wondered if it did because our current knowledge about this molecule is that it is nonpolar, so I wondered if there was a connection that's all. I keep saying it because other online sources disagree with that statement, that it does not form with hydrogen bonds with water. I still am confused about all this, so if two substances form hydrogen bonds then they can form one between each other?
If it changes anything, in our lab we found if these things were soluble w/ water and hexane, and conductive. The question asks "which of the following are able to hydrogen bond with water: ...1-decanol... Identify the structural feature which allows for its ability to hydrogen bond. Explain how H-bonding influences the solubility of each in water and hexane."
I'm not looking for an answer to copy, I want to understand why. So is the statement I said originally correct, that hydrogen bonding will occur between molecules that contain an O-H, N-H, or F-H bond? Because if that is true then I guess i'll ignore the other places online who say 1-decanol doesn't form a hydrogen bond with water and say I understand this