Question

WHAT IF? What would be the effect on the properties

of the water molecule if oxygen and hydrogen had equal
electronegativity?

Answer 1

If oxygen and hydrogen had equal electronegativity, it would have a significant effect on the properties of the water molecule. Electronegativity is the measure of an atom's ability to attract electrons towards itself in a chemical bond. In a water molecule (H2O), the oxygen atom is more electronegative than the hydrogen atoms. This results in the oxygen atom having a partial negative charge (δ-) and the hydrogen atoms having a partial positive charge (δ+).

If oxygen and hydrogen had equal electronegativity, the water molecule would become nonpolar. This means that there would be an equal sharing of electrons between the oxygen and hydrogen atoms, resulting in an even distribution of charge throughout the molecule. As a result, the water molecule would not have a partial positive or negative charge on any of its atoms.

The properties of water are closely related to its polar nature. The polarity of water allows it to form hydrogen bonds, which are strong intermolecular forces. These hydrogen bonds give water its unique properties, such as high boiling point, surface tension, and the ability to dissolve many substances.

If the water molecule became nonpolar, it would lose these properties associated with hydrogen bonding. For example, the boiling point of water would decrease, as hydrogen bonds play a significant role in determining the energy required to break the intermolecular forces and convert water from a liquid to a gas.

Furthermore, the solubility of water would also be affected. Water's ability to dissolve many substances is due to its polar nature. Nonpolar substances, such as oils and fats, do not dissolve well in water. If water became nonpolar, its ability to dissolve polar substances would be reduced.

In summary, if oxygen and hydrogen had equal electronegativity, the water molecule would become nonpolar, losing its polarity and the associated properties such as high boiling point and the ability to dissolve many substances.

Step-by-step explanation:

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Answer 2

• If oxygen and hydrogen had equal electronegativity then the molecule would be lacking polarity ( 2.2 - 2.2 or 3.5 - 3.5 = 0) causing the inability to form a hydrogen bond between the hydrogen pair and oxygen and thus, the properties would not match the actual water molecule.

Explanation:

• Water is a chemical substance made up of two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen.
• The property of an atom to attract shared electrons while forming a chemical bond is termed as it's electronegativity.
• The more the electronegativity ,the more the attraction among electrons.
• Since oxygen has 8 protons and hydrogen has only 1 and thus, oxygen would attract the bonded pair of hydrogen,making it the element with the highest electronegativity present in the molecule.