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The electronegativity difference between oxygen and hydrogen is quite large, which means that bond possess a high polarity. This enables water (which has two O-H bonds) to "surround" similar covalent compounds and dissociate many ionic compounds.

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Water is a polar compound with a significant electrical dipole moment; the electronegativities of hydrogen and oxygen are very different.

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Q: What feature of the bond between hydrogen and oxygen is most important in explaining how water can act as a powerful solvent?
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Why do water molecules stick together?

This phenomenon is called cohesion. A water molecule can form four hydrogen bonds; the structure is stable and the intermolecular forces are important, explaining the cohesion of water molecules.


What is the difference between hydrogen and nitrogen?

The single most important difference is the # of protons each has in the nucleus.


Why are hydrogen bonds so important to the structure of DNA?

The two strands of a DNA molecule are held together by hydrogen bonds that occur between the nitrogen bases of both strands. The hydrogen bonds occur between the adenine and thymine nitrogen bases and between the cytosine and guanine nitrogen bases. Hydrogen boding occurs between Nitrogen or oxygen atoms (containing lone pairs of electrons in their outer orbital) and hydrogen atoms. They are weaker than covalent bonds but stronger than intermolecular forces.


How are hydrogen bonds important to water?

Without bonds the hydrogen and oxygen would come apart.Hydrogen bonds are not the covalent bonds holding the hydrogen and oxygen together in a water molecule, they are the weak dipole bonds between the hydrogen side of the water molecule and other molecules (including the oxygen side of other water molecules). Some of the things hydrogen bonds in water do:increase surface tensionmake water a powerful solvent of ionic compoundsmake water expand when cooled below 4C until it freezes at 0Cgives ice crystals their sixfold symmetryetc.Water is a very unusual compound because of its hydrogen bonds.


What is the difference between a hydrogen atom and atomic hydrogen?

The difference between a hydrogen atom and atomic hydrogen is that the "hydrogen atom" represents one atom of the chemical element hydrogen. Atomic hydrogen are isolated hydrogen atoms.

Related questions

Why do water molecules stick together?

This phenomenon is called cohesion. A water molecule can form four hydrogen bonds; the structure is stable and the intermolecular forces are important, explaining the cohesion of water molecules.


What is the difference between a hydrogen bomb and an Uranium bomb and which one is more powerful?

Hydrogen bomb gets some of its energy from fusion, uranium or plutonium bomb gets all of it from fission. Either can be more powerful, depending on the design. The most powerful bombs built have all been hydrogen bombs.


What is the most important role of hydrogen bonding between molecules?

Hydrogen bonding enables water molecules to bond to each other.


What is the difference between hydrogen and nitrogen?

The single most important difference is the # of protons each has in the nucleus.


Which type of chemical bonds form between water mlecules?

The most important intermolecular bond between water molecules is the hydrogen bond. Hydrogen bonds are formed between the partially positive hydrogen atoms of one molecule, and the partially negative oxygen atoms other molecules.


What is the most important type of intermolecular forces between molecules in a sample of pure water?

Hydrogen bonding


Why are hydrogen bonds so important to the structure of DNA?

The two strands of a DNA molecule are held together by hydrogen bonds that occur between the nitrogen bases of both strands. The hydrogen bonds occur between the adenine and thymine nitrogen bases and between the cytosine and guanine nitrogen bases. Hydrogen boding occurs between Nitrogen or oxygen atoms (containing lone pairs of electrons in their outer orbital) and hydrogen atoms. They are weaker than covalent bonds but stronger than intermolecular forces.


How are hydrogen bonds important to water?

Without bonds the hydrogen and oxygen would come apart.Hydrogen bonds are not the covalent bonds holding the hydrogen and oxygen together in a water molecule, they are the weak dipole bonds between the hydrogen side of the water molecule and other molecules (including the oxygen side of other water molecules). Some of the things hydrogen bonds in water do:increase surface tensionmake water a powerful solvent of ionic compoundsmake water expand when cooled below 4C until it freezes at 0Cgives ice crystals their sixfold symmetryetc.Water is a very unusual compound because of its hydrogen bonds.


What is the difference between a hydrogen atom and atomic hydrogen?

The difference between a hydrogen atom and atomic hydrogen is that the "hydrogen atom" represents one atom of the chemical element hydrogen. Atomic hydrogen are isolated hydrogen atoms.


How and why do the bonds between hydrogen and oxygen in water differ from bonds between hydrogen and carbon?

Hydrogen bonding exists between hydrogen and oxygen in water, becuase of the huge electronegativity difference between oxygen and hydrogen. This arises, due to the huge electron affinity of oxygen. Such interaction is not possible between carbon and hydrogen, as athe carbon is not as electronegative as oxygen.


Name a much weaker but important bond in living things?

hydrogen bonds are the weakest .Covalent bonds are the strongest.


What is the name of the compound between nitrogen and hydrogen?

There are 5 elements between Hydrogen and Nitrogen.HydrogenHeliumLithiumBerylliumBoronCarbonNitrogen