Why Is Water Polar?

Water is a polar molecule. The polarity of a water molecule is because of the electronegativity difference of oxygen and hydrogen atoms. There are two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom present in a molecule of water. They are combined with the help of two single covalent bonds. These bonds are present between the hydrogen and oxygen atoms. The ability of oxygen to attract the electron pair towards itself is more than the ability of hydrogen atom. So, oxygen gets partial negative charge and hydrogen atoms get partial positive charges.

Water is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. Two single covalent bonds are present between oxygen atom and hydrogen atoms. The ability of an atom to attract an electron pairs towards itself is known as electronegativity. The electronegativity of oxygen is greater than the electronegativity of hydrogen atom. Oxygen attracts electron pair towards itself and gets partial negative charge. Hydrogen atom, due to lesser electronegativity, gets partial positive charge. In this way, water molecules become a polar molecule. Strong dipole-dipole forces or hydrogen bonding is present between the polar molecules of water.

The polarity of a water molecule is because of the electronegativity difference of oxygen and hydrogen atoms.