Draw two water molecules

Draw two water molecules. Label which are hydrogen bonds and which are polar covalent bonds.

Here is a labeled diagram of two water (H₂O) molecules showing polar covalent bonds and hydrogen bonds:

mathematicaCopyEdit      δ−        δ+             δ+        δ−
       O —— H ········ O —— H
      /                  \
    H                    H
   δ+                  δ+

• Polar Covalent Bonds are represented by solid lines (e.g., O—H) within each molecule.
• Hydrogen Bond is represented by dotted lines (e.g., H ······· O) between molecules.

---

Explanation

Each water molecule consists of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms. The atoms are held together by polar covalent bonds. In this type of bond, the electrons are shared unequally between the oxygen and hydrogen atoms because oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen. This unequal sharing causes a partial negative charge (δ–) near the oxygen atom and partial positive charges (δ+) near the hydrogen atoms.

The water molecule has a bent shape due to the two lone pairs of electrons on the oxygen atom. This structure and the charge separation make the molecule polar. The polarity of water enables the formation of hydrogen bonds between molecules.

A hydrogen bond forms when the partially positive hydrogen atom of one water molecule is attracted to the partially negative oxygen atom of another water molecule. This is a type of intermolecular force, which is weaker than a covalent bond but still strong enough to significantly influence water’s physical properties such as boiling point, surface tension, and cohesion.

In the diagram above, the solid lines (O—H) indicate polar covalent bonds within a single water molecule. These bonds are responsible for holding the atoms of one water molecule together. The dotted line (H ······· O) between the molecules indicates a hydrogen bond, showing the attraction between the hydrogen of one molecule and the oxygen of another.

This intermolecular bonding plays a key role in many biological and chemical processes. The capacity of water to form multiple hydrogen bonds leads to its unique behavior as a solvent and its importance in sustaining life.