JEE Chemistry 2023 Question with Solution

Given: In an ice crystal, each water molecule is hydrogen bonded to neighbouring water molecules.

Find: The number of hydrogen bonds associated with each water molecule.

In the ice crystal structure, each water molecule forms four hydrogen bonds with neighbouring water molecules.

A water molecule, $\mathrm{H_2O}$, has two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. It can donate two hydrogen bonds through its two hydrogen atoms and accept two hydrogen bonds through the two lone pairs present on oxygen.

Thus, total hydrogen bonds per water molecule in ice:

Therefore, each water molecule is hydrogen bonded to $4$ neighbouring molecules.

In an ice crystal, each water molecule forms four hydrogen bonds with its neighboring water molecules.

A water molecule, $\mathrm{H_2O}$, has two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. The oxygen atom is more electronegative than hydrogen, creating a polar molecule with a partial negative charge on oxygen and partial positive charges on the hydrogens.

Each water molecule can act as a hydrogen bond donor through its two hydrogen atoms. These slightly positive hydrogen atoms interact with the slightly negative oxygen atoms of neighboring water molecules, forming two hydrogen bonds.

Additionally, each water molecule can act as a hydrogen bond acceptor through its two lone pairs of electrons on oxygen. These lone pairs interact with the slightly positive hydrogen atoms of two other neighboring water molecules, forming two more hydrogen bonds.

Thus, each water molecule in ice participates in a total of four hydrogen bonds: two as a donor and two as an acceptor, creating a tetrahedral network structure.