AP BIOLOGY

BIOCHEMISTRY

PROPERTIES OF WATER

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
True or False:Hydrogen bonds are weak but very powerful, which allows for many of the chemical characteristics found in water.
A
True
B
False
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -The given statement is true. Hydrogen bonds are a type of weak intermolecular force compared to strong intramolecular forces of ionic and covalent bonds.

Detailed explanation-2: -Hydrogen bonds are weak, relative to covalent bonds. The energy required to break the O-H covalent bond (the bond dissociation energy) is about 111 kcal/mole, or in more proper SI units, 464 kJ/mole.

Detailed explanation-3: -Hydrogen bonds are weak because they are an ionic interaction between only partially charged molecules. In a covalent bond, orbitals between atoms overlap and the atoms effectively share the electrons. This creates a strong bond that is not easily broken.

Detailed explanation-4: -Greater electronegativity of the hydrogen bond acceptor will lead to an increase in hydrogen-bond strength. The hydrogen bond is one of the strongest intermolecular attractions, but weaker than a covalent or an ionic bond.

Detailed explanation-5: -Individual hydrogen bonds are weak and easily broken; however, they occur in very large numbers in water and in organic polymers, creating a major force in combination. Hydrogen bonds are also responsible for zipping together the DNA double helix.

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