Question

question 4 of 6
click on the following true statements about water.

• water is a polar covalent molecule.
• water is made of polar ionic bonds.
• a water molecule is attracted to another water molecule by hydrogen bonds.
• water has no lone pairs.

Explanation:

• Water (\(H_2O\)) has a bent molecular geometry. The oxygen atom has a higher electronegativity than hydrogen. So, the electrons in the \(O - H\) bonds are not shared equally. This makes water a polar covalent molecule.
• Ionic bonds involve the transfer of electrons (e.g., in \(NaCl\), \(Na^+\) and \(Cl^-\) are held by ionic bonds). In water (\(H_2O\)), electrons are shared (covalent bonds), not transferred, so it is not made of ionic bonds.
• The hydrogen atoms (slightly positive) in one water molecule are attracted to the oxygen atom (slightly negative, due to its lone pairs) of another water molecule. This is a hydrogen - bond interaction.
• The oxygen atom in \(H_2O\) has two lone pairs of electrons (\(O: H - H\)).

Answer:

Water is a polar covalent molecule. A water molecule is attracted to another water molecule by hydrogen bonds.