What causes polarity in water molecule?

Answer 1

When a highly electronegative atom is attached to a less electronegative atom, then the former one attracts the shared pair of electrons towards itself.

Such a molecule is polar molecule.

Polarity of molecule means the product of charge on molecule and the distance between the atoms.

Answer 2

Basically this is because of unequal sharing of electrons. The oxygen atom is much more electronegative than the hydrogen, so the electrons tend toward the oxygen nucleus so that the oxygen atom is relatively negative and the hydrogen atoms are relatively positive.

Also, the hydrogen atoms are not directly opposite each other across the oxygen atom - the angle between their bonds with the oxygen is 104.5 degrees. This causes a dipole moment, meaning that the molecule, even though it is neutral overall, has areas where there is a greater electron density than other areas of the molecule. The shared electrons spend a disproportionately high amount of time around the oxygen than they do around the hydrogen, making the oxygen a negatively charged region and the hydrogen a positively charged region.

The oxygen molecule pulls electrons from hydrogen to itself and becomes negatively charged, hydrogen that is now further from its electrons becomes positively charged.

Answer 3

Each water molecule is made up of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms which are bonded together in an asymmetrical manner. Oxygen has a much greater electronegativity (3.44) compared to hydrogen (2.2) and so attracts the bonding electrons more strongly. This results in an excess negative charge at the oxygen atom and corresponding positive charges at the hydrogen atoms.

Answer 4

the unequal sharing of electrons causes polarity in water molecules

Answer 5

I believe its a form of electrical charge. I believe its a form of electrical charge.

Answer 6

Ions (positive) or cations (negative)