158k views
3 votes
Which statement correctly explains the polarity of the water molecule?

A.The hydrogen end of the molecule has a partial negative charge and the oxygen end has a partial positive charge.



B.The oxygen end of the molecule has a partial negative charge and the hydrogen end has a partial positive charge.



C.Both ends of the molecule have a partial negative charge, which attracts the other water molecule towards itself.

User Tholy
by
8.6k points

1 Answer

1 vote
The oxygen end of the molecule has a partial negative charge and the hydrogen end has a partial positive charge. This is because of the electronegativities of the atoms O and H. O is more electronegative than H so electrons are more often around the O atom. Electrons are negatively charged, so this causes the partial negative charge on the O atom, similarly, the "deficiency" of electrons around the H atoms cause partial positive charges because the nuclear charge (protons) isn't balanced to the number of electrons around it.

Hope this helps :)
User SamuelDavis
by
7.6k points

No related questions found