Final answer:
The polarity of water is due to the unequal sharing of electrons in the covalent bond between hydrogen and oxygen, where oxygen's higher electronegativity draws the electrons towards it, creating a partial negative charge on oxygen and partial positive charges on hydrogen.
Step-by-step explanation:
The polarity of the water molecule is caused by the unequal sharing of electrons in the polar covalent bond between Hydrogen and Oxygen atoms. The oxygen atom has a higher electronegativity (3.5) compared to hydrogen (2.2), which results in the shared electrons spending more time around the oxygen atom, creating a partial negative charge on the oxygen and a partial positive charge on the hydrogen atoms. As a result, water molecules have a bent structure where the hydrogen atoms are repelled from each other and form hydrogen bonds with the oxygen atoms of adjacent water molecules, leading to the unique properties of water that are essential for life.