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Water has special properties, including high cohesion, high surface tension, and the ability to absorb large amounts of heat. What kind of bond between water molecules gives water these special properties?

1) Ionic bond
2) Covalent bond
3) Hydrogen bond
4) Van der Waals forces

User Omer Iqbal
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Water's high cohesion, surface tension, and heat absorption properties are due to hydrogen bonds between the molecules, which are strong intermolecular forces.

Step-by-step explanation:

The special properties of water, including high cohesion, high surface tension, and the ability to absorb large amounts of heat, are primarily attributed to hydrogen bonds between water molecules. Notably, it is these hydrogen bonds that are responsible for water's remarkable surface tension and other unique physical characteristics.

For instance, these bonds allow water to act as a superb solvent due to its adhesion properties, where water's electrostatic interactions with ions and polar molecules play a role. Furthermore, water's high specific heat is a consequence of these strong cohesive forces between molecules, requiring more energy to heat the water. In addition, the high heat of vaporization of water is also a result of the energy needed to break these intermolecular forces and convert liquid water into water vapor.

User Alex Petralia
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