What could the attraction between neighboring water molecules be referred to as? (3 answers)

Question

Intermolecular forces

Intramolecular forces

Hydrogen bonds (my answer)

Electrostatic forces (my answer)

Polar covalent bonds

Answer 1

The attraction between neighboring water molecules can be referred to as:

1. Intermolecular forces - This is the broad category that encompasses all types of attractions between molecules.

2. Hydrogen bonds - This is a specific type of intermolecular force that occurs between water molecules due to the polarity of the water molecule and the presence of hydrogen atoms bonded to highly electronegative oxygen atoms.

3. Electrostatic forces - This term can also be used, as hydrogen bonds are a type of electrostatic interaction between the positive hydrogen of one molecule and the negative oxygen of another.

The other options, "Intramolecular forces" and "Polar covalent bonds," do not apply to the attraction between neighboring water molecules. Intramolecular forces have to do with the forces holding the atoms together within a single molecule, and polar covalent bonds refer specifically to the type of bond found within a water molecule itself, not between molecules.