Why is the boiling point of water significantly greater than that of other group 6 (16) hydrides?

Water exhibits hydrogen bonding between neighbouring molecules, where other group 6 hydrides are held together by much weaker (ca. 10 x) Van Der Waal's forces of attraction. Waters hydrogen bondong ability arises from the presence of a highly electronegative oxygen atom in it's structure. Due to oxygen's propensity to attract negative charge, the shared electron between oxygen and hydrogen in each of the two bonds in water lies closer to the nucleus of oxygen than that of hydrogen. This results in a partially negatively charged oxygen atom and two partially positively charged hydrogen atoms. The partial charges can interact wih the opposite partial charge on a neighbouring molecul, forming a so called 'hydrogen bond.'

Related Chemistry A Level answers

All answers ▸

When vaporised, isotopes of an element can be separated in a mass spectrometer. Name the three processes that occur in a mass spectrometer before the vaporised isotopes can be detected. State how each process is achieved. (6 marks)


Could you explain why water has a high latent heat of vapourisation?


What is the structure of benzene?


Calculate the pH of the solution formed when 30 cm3 of 0.150 moldm-3 aqueous sulfuric acid is added to 30 cm3 of 0.200 moldm-3 aqueous potassium hydroxide at 25 C.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo
Cookie Preferences