Inside a water molecule, the bond between hydrogen and oxygen atoms is a polar covalent bond. This means the electrons are shared unequally, with oxygen being more electronegative and pulling the shared electrons closer, resulting in a partial negative charge on oxygen and partial positive charges on hydrogen atoms. Hydrogen bonds are not bonds within a single water molecule but rather intermolecular attractions between water molecules. These hydrogen bonds form between the hydrogen atom of one water molecule and the oxygen atom of another, due to the polarity of the molecules. Summarizing the types of bonds involving hydrogen and oxygen in water:
- Covalent bonds (specifically polar covalent bonds) are the bonds inside the water molecule between hydrogen and oxygen.
- Hydrogen bonds are the intermolecular attractions between different water molecules.
- Electronegativity explains why the covalent bond is polar but is not itself a type of bond.
- Proton bonds is not a typical term used to describe bonds in a water molecule.
Therefore, the bonds found inside a water molecule, between hydrogen and oxygen, are covalent bonds, specifically polar covalent bonds.
