Atoms that are electronegative, meaning they have a strong pull on electrons, will form polar covalent bonds with hydrogen. These include atoms such as:

- Oxygen (O)

- Nitrogen (N)

- Fluorine (F)

- Chlorine (Cl)

- Bromine (Br)

- Iodine (I)

For example, in the molecule hydrogen fluoride (HF), the fluorine atom is more electronegative than hydrogen, so it pulls the electrons in the bond closer to itself. This creates a partial negative charge on the fluorine atom and a partial positive charge on the hydrogen atom.