Final answer:
The time to break an oxygen-hydrogen single bond by absorbing a single photon depends on the bond dissociation energy and the photon's energy. UV light with high photon energy can break chemical bonds; however, the exact time is not specified due to variations in photon energy and molecular context.
Step-by-step explanation:
The time it takes to break an oxygen-hydrogen single bond by absorbing a single photon is not given by a simple uniform time frame, as it depends on the bond dissociation energy and the energy provided by the photon. Molecules absorb energy in the form of photons, and if the photon has enough energy, typically on the order of electron volts (eV), it can break chemical bonds. Molecular oxygen (O₂), for example, has a bond dissociation energy that requires a significant amount of energy to break. Ultraviolet (UV) light with a high photon energy is capable of breaking chemical bonds, such as those in oxygen or hydrogen molecules.
For a molecule like water (H₂O), which contains oxygen-hydrogen bonds, absorbing a UV photon could provide the energy needed to break these bonds. Based on the bond dissociation energy and the energy of the photon, one can determine if the photon has sufficient energy to initiate bond breaking. It's important to note that the bond dissociation energy for a O-H bond in water is approximately 463 kJ/mol, which translates roughly to about 4.8 eV per bond.