Final answer:
In methanol (CH3OH), the oxygen atom is slightly negatively charged due to being more electronegative than hydrogen. This electronegativity difference creates a partial positive charge on the hydrogen, allowing methanol to participate in hydrogen bonding as both a donor and an acceptor.The right option is D)
Step-by-step explanation:
Oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen, which means that in a molecule like methanol (CH₃OH), the oxygen atom attracts the shared electrons more strongly than the hydrogen atom does. Consequently, the oxygen atom has a slight excess of electron density and thus a slightly negative charge, while the hydrogen atom has a slightly positive charge. This creates a dipole moment within the molecule, contributing to the molecule's polar nature.
Based on the given information, the correct statement about the OH group in methanol is that the oxygen atom is slightly negatively charged.
Methanol can form hydrogen bonds due to the existence of this polarity. The hydrogen attached to oxygen can act as a hydrogen bond donor because of its partial positive charge, and the oxygen can act as a hydrogen bond acceptor due to its lone pairs of electrons and partial negative charge.