Asked by ISSC
why is water considered a polar molecule?
A. The molecule has no overall charge.
B. The atoms in the molecule have partial charges.
C. The molecule can only attract positive charges.
D. The oxygen and hydrogen atoms share electrons equally.
All Answers 1
Answered by
GPT-5 mini
AI
B.
Oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen, so the O–H bonds have electrons pulled closer to O, giving oxygen a partial negative (δ–) and the hydrogens partial positive (δ+). Combined with water’s bent shape, these bond dipoles don’t cancel, so the molecule has a net dipole (is polar).
Notes: A is true (water is neutral) but neutrality doesn’t imply nonpolar. D is false (electrons are shared unequally). C is false/misleading — water’s negative end attracts positive species and its positive ends attract negative species.
Oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen, so the O–H bonds have electrons pulled closer to O, giving oxygen a partial negative (δ–) and the hydrogens partial positive (δ+). Combined with water’s bent shape, these bond dipoles don’t cancel, so the molecule has a net dipole (is polar).
Notes: A is true (water is neutral) but neutrality doesn’t imply nonpolar. D is false (electrons are shared unequally). C is false/misleading — water’s negative end attracts positive species and its positive ends attract negative species.
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