Which of the following bond types is responsible for the high boiling point of water?
Answer Details
The bond responsible for the high boiling point of water is the hydrogen bond. A hydrogen bond is a type of dipole-dipole interaction that occurs when a hydrogen atom bonded to an electronegative atom (such as oxygen or nitrogen) in one molecule is attracted to an electronegative atom in another molecule. In water, the hydrogen atoms of one water molecule are attracted to the oxygen atom of another water molecule through hydrogen bonds, creating a network of intermolecular attractions. These hydrogen bonds require a large amount of energy to break, resulting in a high boiling point for water compared to similar-sized molecules with only London dispersion or dipole-dipole interactions.