HYDROGEN BONDINGS Meaning and
Definition
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Hydrogen bonding refers to a type of chemical bond that forms between a hydrogen atom of one molecule and a highly electronegative atom, such as oxygen, nitrogen, or fluorine, in another molecule. It is a special type of intermolecular force, which means it occurs between different molecules rather than within a single molecule.
In a hydrogen bond, the hydrogen atom acts as a bridge between two electronegative atoms, resulting in a partial positive charge on the hydrogen atom and a partial negative charge on the electronegative atom. This creates a strong electrostatic attraction between the two molecules. The electronegative atom, often denoted as the hydrogen bond acceptor, attracts the shared electron pair towards itself, leading to a polarized bond.
Hydrogen bonds are considerably weaker than covalent or ionic bonds but are still important in determining the physical and chemical properties of many substances. They play a crucial role in various biological processes, including the structure and stability of proteins, DNA molecules, and the folding of biomolecules.
The unique properties of hydrogen bonding contribute to its significance in many phenomena, such as the high boiling point of water, the cohesive nature of liquid water, and the ability of water to dissolve many substances. Additionally, hydrogen bonding is crucial in determining the structure and properties of various compounds, including alcohols, carboxylic acids, and some gases like ammonia and hydrogen fluoride.
Common Misspellings for HYDROGEN BONDINGS
- gydrogen bondings
- bydrogen bondings
- nydrogen bondings
- jydrogen bondings
- uydrogen bondings
- yydrogen bondings
- htdrogen bondings
- hgdrogen bondings
- hhdrogen bondings
- hudrogen bondings
- h7drogen bondings
- h6drogen bondings
- hysrogen bondings
- hyxrogen bondings
- hycrogen bondings
- hyfrogen bondings
- hyrrogen bondings
- hyerogen bondings
- hydeogen bondings
- hyddogen bondings
Etymology of HYDROGEN BONDINGS
The term "hydrogen bonding" originated from the early 20th century when the concept of chemical bonding was being developed. It was introduced by the British scientist Latimer and his American colleague Rodebush in 1920 to describe a specific type of attractive force between molecules.
The word "hydrogen" in "hydrogen bonding" refers to one of the participating atoms in this type of bonding, which is the hydrogen atom. The word "bonding" simply indicates the formation of a chemical bond between two or more atoms or molecules.
The concept of hydrogen bonding refers to the attractive force that occurs when a hydrogen atom is bonded to a highly electronegative atom (such as oxygen, nitrogen, or fluorine) while being weakly attracted to another electronegative atom nearby. This type of bonding is responsible for many of the unique properties of water, as well as the structure and properties of various biological molecules.
