The Hydrogen And Oxygen Atoms In Water Are Held Together By ____Bonds.
The correct answer and explanation is :
The hydrogen and oxygen atoms in water (H₂O) are held together by covalent bonds.
Explanation:
Water is a molecule composed of two hydrogen (H) atoms and one oxygen (O) atom. The oxygen atom has a higher electronegativity than hydrogen, meaning it has a stronger tendency to attract electrons. In the case of water, the oxygen atom shares electrons with the hydrogen atoms to form covalent bonds.
A covalent bond is formed when two atoms share electrons to achieve a more stable electron configuration. In the case of water, each hydrogen atom shares its single electron with the oxygen atom. Oxygen, having six electrons in its outer shell, needs two more electrons to complete its octet (the stable configuration of eight electrons in the outer shell). By sharing electrons with the two hydrogen atoms, oxygen achieves this stable configuration, and each hydrogen atom also achieves a more stable configuration by sharing an electron.
Although the electrons are shared, they are not shared equally. The oxygen atom pulls the shared electrons closer to itself because it is more electronegative. This creates a partial negative charge on the oxygen atom and partial positive charges on the hydrogen atoms. This unequal sharing of electrons gives water a polar nature. The region around the oxygen atom is slightly negative, while the regions around the hydrogen atoms are slightly positive.
This polarity is responsible for many of water’s unique properties, such as its high surface tension, its ability to dissolve many substances, and its relatively high boiling and melting points.
To summarize, the hydrogen and oxygen atoms in water are held together by covalent bonds, but the bond is polar due to the unequal sharing of electrons, which makes water a polar molecule with distinct positive and negative ends.