Chemistry

Properties of Water<--back

Chemical and Hydrogen Bonds

Chemical bonds are the forces that hold the two hydrogen atoms and the oxygen atom together in a water molecule.  Each hydrogen atom has one electron orbiting around its nucleus, and each of these atoms has room for two electrons.  The oxygen atom has six electrons in its outer orbit, out has room for eight electrons.  The Hydrogen and Oxygen atoms each fill these empty spaces by sharing their electrons.  The two electrons from the two Hydrogen atoms enter the Oxygen atom's orbit.  Two electrons from the Oxygen atom fill the empty spaces.  The resulting water molecule is an extremely thin structure.

Hydrogen bonds are the forces that link water molecules together.  The Hydrogen end of the water molecule has a + positive electric charge.  At the opposite end, the molecules have a negative charge.  Water molecules link tightly together because the negative and positive charges attract to each other.