What happens to atoms when water is formed?

When two or more atoms chemically bond with each other, the resultant chemical structure is a molecule. Two or more atoms may bond with each other to form a molecule. When two hydrogens and an oxygen share electrons via covalent bonds, a water molecule is formed.

What happens when you take a hydrogen atom from water?

The difference is due to the fact that one water molecule has two hydrogen atoms to one oxygen atom, as explained above. This means it takes two water molecules (2 H2O) to make one oxygen molecule (O2). At the same time, however, two molecules of water (2 H2O) can make two molecules of hydrogen (2 H2).

What happens to a single oxygen atom?

The single oxygen atoms latch onto O2 molecules to form O3 (the chemical formula for ozone).

What happens when water becomes ice?

As the liquid cools down, the amount of potential energy is reduced and the molecules start to move slower. When the water temperature reaches around 0°C, the molecules stick together and form a solid – ice.

What are water atoms?

Atoms join together to form molecules. A water molecule has three atoms: two hydrogen (H) atoms and one oxygen (O) atom. That’s why water is sometimes referred to as H2O.

Why can’t oxygen exist on its own?

But one oxygen atom cant exist on its own, because its unstable. Usually any atom needs 8 electrons in its outer orbit in order to stay stable. But, the Oxygen atom has 6 electrons in its outer orbit. So, it needs two more electrons in order to make it 8.

What happens when the Earth loses water?

Dave: There is also the mechanism whereby the Earth loses water. What happens is, in the upper atmosphere you’ve got a little bit of water vapour high up in the atmosphere and it gets hit by ultraviolet light from the sun. That can split apart into hydrogen and oxygen.

What happens to the water in the upper atmosphere?

What happens is, in the upper atmosphere you’ve got a little bit of water vapour high up in the atmosphere and it gets hit by ultraviolet light from the sun. That can split apart into hydrogen and oxygen. This light hydrogen will tend to float up really high and then get blown away by the solar wind.

How did the Earth get its water?

That’s extrapolated over the lifetime of the Earth. Most of the water we have comes in the form of comets hitting the Earth. When the Earth first formed, of course, there was a disc of stellar debris which was basically the material left over from when the sun formed. Out of that we condensed planets as planetesimals.

Why does water have a high heat capacity?

Water has a high heat capacity (an ability to absorb heat) because for water to increase in temperature, water molecules must be made to move faster within the water; doing this requires breaking hydrogen bonds (the H 2 in H 2 O) and the breaking of hydrogen bonds absorbs heat.