A sample of water originally at \(25^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) is heated to \(75^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) . As the temperature increases, the vapor pressure of the water is also observed to increase. Why? (A) Water molecules are more likely to have enough energy to break free of the intermolecular forces holding them together. (B) The covalent bonds between the hydrogen and oxygen atoms within individual water molecules are more likely to be broken. (C) The strength of the hydrogen bonding between different water molecules will increase until it exceeds the covalent bond energy within individual water molecules. (D) The electron clouds surrounding each water molecule are becoming less polarizable, weakening the intermolecular forces between them.

Step by step solution

01

- Understanding the Options

The first step is to comprehend each option and see if it aligns with the scientific theories. Option (A) refers to the kinetic theory of gases, where the energy of water molecules would raise when heated, giving them more potential to break free from intermolecular forces. Option (B) is unlikely as the covalent bonds within water molecules are strong and require significantly high energy levels to break than just heating up to 75 °C. Option (C) describes a scenario where hydrogen bonding surpasses covalent bonds, which is incorrect. And, Option (D) suggests that electron clouds become less polarizable, which is irrelevant and does not directly link to the increase in vapor pressure of water.

02

- Identifying the Correct Explanation

Looking at all the options, it becomes evident that option (A) aligns best with the scientific concepts relevant to this problem. The increase in temperature implies that the water molecules have higher kinetic energy. According to kinetic theory, this could make them likely to overcome the intermolecular forces holding them together in liquid form, and therefore, escape into the gas phase. As more molecules transition into the gas phase, the vapor pressure of the water would subsequently increase.

03

- Confirming the Answer

The final step is to confirm that the chosen answer, option (A), is indeed the correct one by cross-checking it with scientific concepts. Once again, option (A) aligns well with the understanding that increased temperature relates to higher kinetic energy which increases vapor pressure by freeing more molecules from the liquid phase into the gas phase, validating it as the right answer.

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