Multiple Choice
Why does sodium form a +1 charge when it becomes an ion?
2. Atoms & Elements
Ions
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What type of charge does an oxygen atom typically have compared to hydrogen atoms in a water molecule?
A
Variable charge
B
Positive charge
C
Negative charge
D
Neutral charge
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the structure of a water molecule, which consists of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, represented as H₂O.
Recall that oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen. Electronegativity is the tendency of an atom to attract electrons towards itself.
In a water molecule, the oxygen atom attracts the shared electrons in the covalent bonds more strongly than the hydrogen atoms do.
Due to this unequal sharing of electrons, the oxygen atom in a water molecule carries a partial negative charge, while the hydrogen atoms carry partial positive charges.
Recognize that this distribution of charge leads to the polar nature of water, with the oxygen atom being partially negative and the hydrogen atoms being partially positive.
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