In a water molecule (H₂O), shared electrons within the covalent bonds spend more time near the oxygen atom. This is due to the higher electronegativity of oxygen compared to hydrogen, which means that oxygen has a stronger attraction for the shared electrons. As a result, the electrons are not shared equally; they are more likely to be found closer to the oxygen atom, leading to a polar covalent bond.
In a water molecule, where do shared electrons within covalent bonds spend more time?
Directly in-between the oxygen and hydrogen atoms
Near the hydrogen atoms
Near the oxygen atom
3 answers
so the answer is oxygen atoms?
Yes, that's correct! In a water molecule (H₂O), the shared electrons in the covalent bonds spend more time near the oxygen atom due to its higher electronegativity compared to the hydrogen atoms.