Multiple choiceQuestion 1 · Recall
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By the end, you can identify hydrogen bonding in molecules with N–H or O–H bonds and describe the attraction between neighbouring molecules.
In a water molecule, oxygen pulls the shared electrons strongly. Each O–H hydrogen is slightly positive, while oxygen is slightly negative.
A slightly positive hydrogen on one molecule is attracted to a lone pair on the oxygen of a neighbour. That dotted attraction is a hydrogen bond; the solid O–H bond stays inside its own molecule.
Hydrogen bonding
A special case of permanent dipole–permanent dipole attraction between molecules, where hydrogen is bonded to a highly electronegative atom.
Focus on molecules containing N–H or O–H groups:
The dotted link is between molecules. It is weaker than the covalent N–H or O–H bond within one molecule.