AP BIOLOGY

BIOCHEMISTRY

PROPERTIES OF WATER

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
The water molecule is
A
Slightly negative near the hydrogen atoms and slightly positive near the oxygen atom
B
Slightly positive in all areas of the molecule
C
Slightly negative near the oxygen atom and slightly positive near the hydrogen atoms
D
The same charge in all areas of the molecule
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -Because oxygen and hydrogen attract the shared electrons unequally, each end of the V-shaped H2O molecule adopts a slightly different charge. The area around the oxygen is somewhat negative compared to the opposite, hydrogen-containing end of the molecule, which is slightly positive.

Detailed explanation-2: -Water is a Polar Covalent Molecule The unequal sharing of electrons between the atoms and the unsymmetrical shape of the molecule means that a water molecule has two poles-a positive charge on the hydrogen pole (side) and a negative charge on the oxygen pole (side).

Detailed explanation-3: -In the covalent bond between oxygen and hydrogen, the oxygen atom attracts electrons a bit more strongly than the hydrogen atoms. The unequal sharing of electrons gives the water molecule a slight negative charge near its oxygen atom and a slight positive charge near its hydrogen atoms.

Detailed explanation-4: -The oxygen atom contains 6 outer electrons, but atoms are only stable when there are 8 outer electrons. As a result, oxygen atoms seek out other atoms that can share electrons. This imbalance of outer electrons means an oxygen atom has a slight negative charge (-2) because of the missing 2 electrons.

Detailed explanation-5: -There is no overall charge to a water molecule, but there is a slight positive charge on each hydrogen atom and a slight negative charge on the oxygen atom. Because of these charges, the slightly positive hydrogen atoms repel each other and form the unique shape.

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