What is the chemical formula for water?

Study Chemistry and Sustainability Concepts for STEM Students Test. Access multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Prepare effectively for your exam!

Multiple Choice

What is the chemical formula for water?

Explanation:
Understanding how many and which atoms make up a molecule is the key idea here. Water has two hydrogen atoms for every one oxygen atom, so its formula is H2O. This reflects that one oxygen atom forms two covalent bonds, one with each hydrogen, giving a stable, two-to-one hydrogen-to-oxygen composition. The other strings describe different substances or incomplete/misordered formulas: H2O2 is hydrogen peroxide, HO is missing a hydrogen, and O2H isn’t the standard way water is written. So the correct representation for water is H2O.

Understanding how many and which atoms make up a molecule is the key idea here. Water has two hydrogen atoms for every one oxygen atom, so its formula is H2O. This reflects that one oxygen atom forms two covalent bonds, one with each hydrogen, giving a stable, two-to-one hydrogen-to-oxygen composition. The other strings describe different substances or incomplete/misordered formulas: H2O2 is hydrogen peroxide, HO is missing a hydrogen, and O2H isn’t the standard way water is written. So the correct representation for water is H2O.

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