Question

Water is:

• A. more polar than H\(_2\)S
• B. more or less identical in polarity with H\(_2\)S
• C. less polar than H\(_2\)S
• D. None of these

Hint:

The polarity of a molecule is determined by the difference in electronegativity between the atoms and the molecular geometry. Water is more polar than hydrogen sulfide because oxygen is more electronegative than sulfur.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Water (\( {H}_2{O} \)) has a bent molecular geometry with an oxygen atom bonded to two hydrogen atoms. Oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen, creating a large dipole moment.
Step 2: Hydrogen sulfide (\( {H}_2{S} \)) also has a bent geometry with sulfur bonded to two hydrogen atoms. However, sulfur is less electronegative than oxygen, and thus the dipole moment in \( {H}_2{S} \) is smaller.
Step 3: As a result, water is more polar than hydrogen sulfide because it has a higher dipole moment due to the higher electronegativity of oxygen.