Question

As water boils, it becomes a gas. Which statement about a gas is correct?

Answer 1

Answer:

A. A gas has a volume that can change.

When water boils do the H2O molecules break or do they stay together just in a gas form?

The H2O molecules themselves do not "change into a gas state" when water boils. Water molecules remain water molecules regardless of circumstance.

The unseen molecular ties that hold the molecules together do alter.

It’s these bonds that dictate whether water is ice, liquid, or steam.

So what we’re interested in is what happens to the bonds when water boils.

In this case, chemical bonding play a role. Two different types of chemical bonds exist:

Between molecules, the first kind exists. They are known as intermolecular bonds, because they keep molecules like H2O connected to one another.

Between molecules, a wide variety of forces are at work. In the image below, a unique type of bond known as James—er, I mean Hydrogen—holds water molecules together. Hybrid Bond. The Nitrogen, Oxygen, or Fluorine atom in one molecule interacts with the Hydrogen atom in another molecule to form a hydrogen bond, which effectively draws the two molecules together.

Of course, it also dons a tux. Its most distinctive quality is that.

Between individual atoms is where the second type of chemical connection may be found.

They are known as intramolecular bonds, and they keep atoms together, such as the hydrogen and oxygen in H2O.

Unfortunately, I can't give an example of an intramolecular connection because they don't dress in tuxedos or resemble Daniel Craig. That is how reserved intramolecular bonds are.

Which is that? Do you still desire a photo? OK, I see. Fine.

The bonds between the molecules and atoms that make up some hydrogen chloride (HCl), often known as hydrochloric acid, are shown in the following image: (Attachment #2)

Let's return to the water now. What transpires when it is boiled?

Well, when water is heated to a boiling point, it changes into steam, which is really water in a gaseous state. It sort of vanishes from vision as it floats up into the air.

Which of the two molecular bonds will break now—the intramolecular ones or the intermolecular ones?

If the intramolecular bonds disintegrated:

The bonds between the H and O atoms break down; there is no longer anything holding the atoms of H2O together.

The atoms are now happier to let the molecule to disintegrate into two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, giving us... not water, but Dobby with a rotten sock.

You see, water is made up of two hydrogen atoms chemically bound to an oxygen atom. We would not have water if the chemical link hadn't existed. It can't be the intramolecular bonds that break since we know that boiling water produces steam, which is still water.

On a side note, intramolecular bonds are REALLY strong. 100 degrees celsius, the boiling point of water (212 degrees Fahrenheit for you Americans), is not nearly enough energy to break them apart.

However, if the INTERmolecular bonds disintegrated:

The H2O molecules' bonds are broken.

The molecules are now far apart from one another since Daniel Craig is no longer holding them at gunpoint together. The molecules are now less dense than liquid water and even air itself because of their increased distance from one another.

The molecules can now float into the air as a result. We regrettably lack James Bond's virtue of being Hydrogen Bond, so we perceive this as steam rising from a boiling pot of water.

Alas.