What type of bond forms when hydrogen on one water molecule bonds to the oxygen of another water molecule?

• A. Hydrogen Bond
• B. Covalent Bond
• C. Ionic Bond
• D. Metallic Bond

Answer: (A)

Hydrogen bonds form when a hydrogen atom that is covalently bonded to a highly electronegative atom is attracted to another electronegative atom's lone pair. In water, the O–H bond inside each molecule is covalent, but the hydrogen carries a partial positive charge while the oxygen carries a partial negative charge. This allows the partial positive hydrogen of one water molecule to be attracted to the lone pairs on the oxygen of a neighboring water molecule, creating a hydrogen bond between the two molecules. This intermolecular attraction is weaker than the covalent O–H bonds but crucial for water’s properties like cohesion and high boiling point. Ionic bonds involve full electron transfer and opposite charges, while metallic bonds involve a lattice of metal cations in a sea of electrons. So this interaction is a hydrogen bond.