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Explain why the central water molecule can hydrogen bond to four

< 1 min read

Explain why the central water molecule can hydrogen bond to four (rather than three or five) other water molecules.

Answer

Due to its two polar covalent bonds, a water molecule has four regions of partial charge: two positive regions on
the two hydrogens and two negative regions on the oxygen atom.

Each of these can bind to a region of opposite partial charge on another water molecule.