Why is H2O a polar bond?

1 Answer
Nov 21, 2015

The DeltaElectronegetivity of H2O is 1.4

Explanation:

To answer this question, you need to look at the electronegativity of the atoms.

What you need to know about the electronegativity is the following:
If DeltaElectronegetivity >2: The bond is ionic, this means that the molecule is fully charged.

If DeltaElectronegetivity between 0,4 and 2: The bond is polar covalent, this means the molecule is partially charged.

If DeltaElectronegetivity <0,4: The bond is nonpolar covalent, this means that the molecule is electronically symmetrical (no charge).

The chart in which you can find the electronegativity of the elements is:
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The final group doesn't have electronegativity, therefore it isn't shown in the chart.

Using this information you can calculate the DeltaElectronegetivity of H2O by subtracting the highest value of the lowest value:
3.5 - 2.1 = 1.4

This means that H2O is a polar covalent.