Ah, the obvious answer would be molecular weight, but that is not the heart of it. HF boils higher because of strong hydrogen bonding—the fluorine holds onto hydrogen so tightly, it takes more heat to break them apart. HCl, heavier or not, has only weaker forces. In my plant, we treat HF with far more caution than HCl; its deceptive strength hides in those bonds, much like a quiet worry can weigh more than a loud complaint.
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