Properties of Water - Polarity and Bonding

Flashcards covering covalent bonds, polarity, hydrogen bonding, and partial charges in water molecules based on lecture notes.

Covalent chemical bonds

Bonds in which electrons are shared between two atoms, represented by solid lines between atoms.

Polar molecule

Any molecule that has a positive end and a negative end, behaving like a small magnet.

Hydrogen bond

An attraction between polar or partially charged molecules when hydrogen atoms are involved, shown with a dotted or dashed line (merely an attraction, NOT a chemical bond).

Partial positive charge ($\delta^+$)

The charge present on the hydrogen atoms of a water molecule due to the unequal sharing of electrons.

Partial negative charge ($\delta^-$)

The charge present on the oxygen atom of a water molecule because shared electrons are found nearer to it most of the time.

Water Molecule Charge Structure

Illustration showing a water molecule with covalent bonds between oxygen and hydrogen, where oxygen holds a partial negative charge ($\delta^-$) and hydrogen atoms hold partial positive charges ($\delta^+$).