Chapter 5: Problem 74

Why isn't the formula for water HO?

Short Answer

Expert verified

The chemical formula for water is H2O instead of HO because oxygen has 6 valence electrons and needs to share two more electrons to achieve a stable configuration. Hydrogen, on the other hand, requires one additional electron for stability. Therefore, one oxygen atom forms covalent bonds with two hydrogen atoms, satisfying the electron sharing requirements for both elements, resulting in the formula H2O.

Step by step solution

Understand Valence Electrons

Valence electrons are the outermost electrons in an atom, and they are responsible for chemical reactions and forming bonds with other atoms. Each element has a specific number of valence electrons that determine how it can bond with other elements. For the case of hydrogen (H), it has 1 valence electron, while oxygen (O) has 6 valence electrons.

Examine the Octet Rule

The octet rule states that atoms will typically form bonds in such a way that they will have a full outer electron shell with 8 electrons. When forming a bond, atoms can either gain, lose, or share electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration with 8 electrons in their outer shell. In the case of hydrogen, since it has only one energy level (1s), this means it is stable with 2 electrons in its outer shell, forming a complete 1s shell rather than following the octet rule strictly.

Analyze Bond Formation between Hydrogen and Oxygen

To achieve a stable electron configuration, hydrogen needs one more electron, and oxygen needs two more electrons. Consequently, oxygen can share two of its valence electrons with two hydrogen atoms. Each hydrogen shares its single valence electron with oxygen, forming a covalent bond.

Understand the Chemical Formula for Water

As a result of the bond formation process explained in Step 3, one oxygen atom shares its valence electrons with two hydrogen atoms, forming two covalent bonds. Due to this bonding, the resulting chemical formula is H2O (two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom) instead of HO. This satisfies the electron sharing requirements for both hydrogen and oxygen atoms to achieve a stable configuration. In conclusion, the chemical formula for water is H2O because each oxygen atom can share two of its valence electrons with two hydrogen atoms, allowing them to achieve stable electron configurations.

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Why isn't the formula for water HO?

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Understand Valence Electrons

Examine the Octet Rule

Analyze Bond Formation between Hydrogen and Oxygen

Understand the Chemical Formula for Water

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