What is the structure of a water molecule? How does hydrogen bond form?
The atoms in the water molecule have the two H-O bonds at an angle of about 104.5° rather than directly opposite sides (180o) of the oxygen atom. The molecule has non-linear bent shape closely resembling a boomerang (kind of letter ’V’). A water molecule is polar in nature; Oxygen atom is highly electronegative and there is a net negative charge toward the oxygen end (the vertex) of the V-shaped molecule and a net positive charge at the hydrogen end. This electric dipole attracts the opposite ends of neighboring water molecules, where each oxygen atom attracts two nearby hydrogen atoms of two other water molecules. This attraction results in formation of a weak bond called ‘Hydrogen bond’. This forms between O-H pair of different water molecules. Electronegative Oxygen is more negative than hydrogen, the molecule has a ‘V’ shape and is polar in nature, a hydrogen bond forms between two molecules More details about hydrogen bond: Hydrogen bonding has been observed in hydrogen compounds.
