Explain why hydrogen bonding occurs between water molecules

Water molecules have a molecular formula of H2O. The O-H bond in water is a polar bond. This is because there is a big difference in electronegativity between the oxygen and the water. It is known that oxygen is very electronegative, therefore it attracts the electrons creating a polar bond. This means the oxygen is slightly negatively charged and the hydrogen is slightly positively charged. This allows for hydrogen bonding to occur between oxygens and hydrogens of different water molecules. Hydrogen bonding is an intermolecular force and this means it directly affects the physical properties of the molecule.

MA
Answered by Mohammed A. Chemistry tutor

17708 Views

See similar Chemistry A Level tutors

Related Chemistry A Level answers

All answers ▸

Draw an Alkane with the molecular formula C4H8 as well as a possible functional group isomer and state a chemical test you can use to differentiate between the two.


what is electronegativity and explain the trend in electronegativity as we go down the group?


Imagine a reaction A for which the values of ΔH and ΔS are both negative. It is known that the absolute value of ΔS is 3 times smaller than the absolute value of ΔH. For what values of T does reaction A occur spontaneously?


Define the term 'Bronsted-Lowry acid'


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning