Question

Identify: The structure of a water molecule (H2O) can be written as H-O-H, with each dash representing a chemical bond. Count the number of bonds the oxygen and hydrogen atoms form in a water molecule.

What is the valence of oxygen?
What is the valence of hydrogen?

Answer 1

In a water molecule, each hydrogen atom forms one bond with oxygen, and oxygen forms two bonds in total (one with each hydrogen). Oxygen has a valence of 6, whereas hydrogen has a valence of 1. The molecule is held together by two covalent bonds.

Step-by-step explanation:

The structure of a water molecule (H₂O) can be written as H-O-H. Each hydrogen atom forms one bond with the oxygen atom, while the oxygen atom forms two bonds, one with each hydrogen atom. The oxygen atom has a valence of 6, which is the number of electrons found in its outer shell, and the hydrogen atom has a valence of 1, reflecting its single electron that can participate in bonding. In a water molecule, the oxygen atom shares a pair of valence electrons with each hydrogen atom, resulting in two covalent bonds. These shared pairs of electrons complete the octet for the oxygen atom and the duet rule for the hydrogen atoms.