Question

If a covalent bond consists of a hydrogen atom and an oxygen atom, which atom will have a partial negative charge (-)? Which atom will have a partial positive charge (+)?

Answer 1

Answer: The Oxygen will have a partial negative charge, and the hydrogen will have a partial positive charge.

Explanation:

Electronegativity is the tendency of an atom to attract a pair of electrons when forming a chemical bond. The more electronegative atom will attract the electrons more, and will have a partial negative charge, because the electrons are negatively charged. The less electronegative atom will have the electrons the other atom attracted further away from it, so it will have a partial positive charge.

Oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen. Oxygen has a nuclear charge of 16 protons (positively charged), whereas hydrogen only has 1. As a result, the pull these 16 protons produce on the electrons will be stronger than the pull only 1 proton produces, and the electrons will be closer to the Oxygen atom.