The Dipolar Molecule Water – Mickey the Dipole
[caption id="attachment_16242" align="alignright" width="440"] The bent water molecule manifests uneven charge distribution. Image by Qwerter CC-by-SA 3.0.[/caption] Mickey the Dipole? Everyone knows H₂O is the chemical formula for water. H stands for hydrogen. O stands for oxygen. The water molecule is made from two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. Hydrogen atoms have one proton and one electron. Ordinary oxygen atoms have eight protons and eight neutrons and eight electrons. For the purposes of this discussion, we can forget the protons and the neutrons. Oxygen has a thirst for electrons. Hydrogen is "happy" to give up its electron. The reaction of hydrogen with oxygen (each of which exist as a pair) is, 2 H2 + O2 → 2 H2O The hydrogen parts are positive (H⁺). The oxygen part…