Water has a high boiling point given its relatively low molar mass. Why?

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1. Identify the key property of water that contributes to its high boiling point: hydrogen bonding.
2. Explain that water molecules are polar, with a partial negative charge on the oxygen atom and a partial positive charge on the hydrogen atoms.
3. Describe how the polarity of water molecules leads to hydrogen bonding, where the hydrogen atom of one water molecule is attracted to the oxygen atom of another water molecule.
4. Discuss how hydrogen bonds are relatively strong intermolecular forces compared to other types of van der Waals forces, such as London dispersion forces or dipole-dipole interactions.
5. Conclude that the presence of these strong hydrogen bonds requires more energy (in the form of heat) to break, resulting in a higher boiling point for water compared to other molecules of similar molar mass.