The bonding between water molecules

Water molecules are polar, that is they have a permanent dipole.

The intermolecular forces between water molecules are permanent dipole/permanent dipole interactions. However, they are particularly strong interactions and are usually referred to as hydrogen bonds.

Hydrogen bonding involves interactions between the slightly positively charged hydrogen atom of one molecule and a lone pair of electrons on a neighbouring molecule. The lone pair of electrons is on the slightly negatively charged oxygen atom of the neighbouring water molecule.

Note that the hydrogen bond between the water molecules is significantly longer than the hydrogen-oxygen covalent bonds within the water molecules.

Also note the O-H-O bond angle of 180°. This occurs because there are no two mutually repelling pairs of electrons around the hydrogen atom, i) the O-H bond pair and ii) the lone pair involved in the hydrogen bond.


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