Water

Hydrogen Bond
Some of the properties of water, which makes it a
unique molecule, originate from a special kind of
intermolecular interaction called Hydrogen Bond
which in turn is caused by a sub-atomic property
called Electronegativity.

Knowledge is power
Electronegativity

We all know that in an atom the protons and the neutrons are tightly packed inside the nucleus
while the electrons keep orbiting around the nucleus in different shells. The force with which
the nucleus of an atom pulls its own outermost valence electrons varies from element to
element. This depends on a number of factors like atomic number, distance of the valence
electrons from the nucleus and presence of intermediate layers of electrons shielding the
valence electrons from the nucleus.

Elements in which this force of attraction

between the nucleus and the valence electrons
is more than in other elements are called more
Electronegative. Going by the Pauling Scale of
Electronegativity the most electronegative
element is Fluorine (3.98) followed by Oxygen
(3.44), Chlorine (3.16) and Nitrogen (3.04). In
the same scale electronegativity of some other
common elements are Carbon (2.55), Hydrogen
(2.20), Iron (1.83), Calcium (1.00) and Sodium
(0.93). This characteristic of an element plays a
vital role in how it shares the electrons with
another element while forming a molecule.

Dipole

When two Hydrogen atoms form covalent bonds with one Oxygen atom to form a water
molecule valence electrons are not shared equally by all the atoms. The Oxygen atom, because
of its greater electronegativity pulls the shared electrons of the Hydrogen atom nearer to its
nucleus. As a result, even though in totality the molecule is electrically neutral, there is a
regional charge imbalance within the molecule.

Due to partial shift of the electrons towards

the Oxygen atom the Oxygen atom becomes
slightly negative and the Hydrogen atoms get
slightly positively charged. These two
extremely small charges, separated by a
extremely small distance, behave like a tiny
magnet and is thus called a dipole. Water
molecules or dipoles behave like tiny
magnets. This creates the Hydrogen Bond.

Knowledge is power
Hydrogen Bond

When two water molecules (dipoles) come close each other the oppositely charged ends of the
dipoles attract each other. This is attraction is called the Hydrogen Bond.

-ve

+ve

The Hydrogen Bond is different from electrovalent and covalent bonds. It happens not only in
water but in several other common molecules like Ammonia, Sulphur Dioxide, Hydrogen
Bromide and many more. However the kind of intermolecular pattern it can create in water
molecules is what makes water a unique compound. Given below is the crystal structure of ice
which is solely due to Hydrogen Bond. Compare it with the microscopic view of a snow flake.

Knowledge is power
Surface Tension

Ever wondered how a water strider stays

afloat on water? That is because of Surface
Tension of water which is created by the
Hydrogen Bond. Millions of water molecules
join together by Hydrogen Bond and makes it
behave like a stretched membrane. With
only exception of mercury, water has the
highest surface tension among all liquids.
Surfactants are used to increase or decrease
surface tension of water. Defoamers are
surfactants that reduce surface tension.

Thermal properties of water

Water has the second highest specific heat in liquids, next only to liquid Ammonia. Water also has the
highest thermal conductivity among common liquids which makes it the best industrial cooler. Water
has the highest latent heat of evaporation (followed by ammonia) which makes steam the best carrier of
heat. All these are due to the strong Hydrogen Bond present between molecules of water (and certainly
ammonia too).

The universal solvent

Water is called the universal solvent

because of its ability to dissolve most
compounds. This is made possible by
the polarity of water molecule due to
Hydrogen Bond. The negatively
charged Oxygen atoms pulls out the
positively charged part of the solute.
And the positively charged Hydrogen
atom attracts the negatively charged
ion of the solute.

There are surely many compounds

which are not dissolved in water. But
still water is by far the best solvent
known to mankind.

Knowledge is power