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  • Hydrogen Bonds between Water Molecules Formation Reason

Hydrogen Bonds between Water Molecules Formation Reason

The reason for the formation of hydrogen bonds between water molecules
Water is the source of all things. The formation of hydrogen bonds between its molecules contains many mysteries. The water molecule is composed of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms, and has a V-shaped structure.

Oxygen atoms are highly electronegative and have a strong ability to attract electrons. In water molecules, when oxygen atoms share an electron pair with hydrogen atoms, the electron pair is biased towards the oxygen atom, causing one end of the hydrogen atom to be positively charged and one end of the oxygen atom to be negatively charged. This is the reason why water molecules have polarity.

When multiple water molecules are close to each other, the positively charged hydrogen atom in one water molecule will attract the negatively charged oxygen atom in the other water molecule. This electrostatic attraction between hydrogen atoms and atoms with high electronegativity (here, oxygen atoms) forms hydrogen bonds.

The formation of hydrogen bonds between water molecules has a profound impact on many properties of water. For example, water has a high boiling point and melting point. If there is no hydrogen bond between water molecules, water should be gaseous at room temperature according to its relative molecular mass. It is the existence of hydrogen bonds that binds water molecules to each other, requiring more energy to break free, so that it can exist stably in liquid form.

In addition, hydrogen bonds also give water good solubility. Many polar substances can be uniformly dispersed in water by forming hydrogen bonds with water molecules. At the same time, the surface tension and specific heat capacity of water are also closely related to the hydrogen bonds between water molecules. In conclusion, the formation of hydrogen bonds between water molecules plays a crucial role in many aspects such as life activities and material cycles in nature.