water molecule
Two hydrogens, one oxygen
A water molecule is the smallest unit of water, consisting of two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom—hence the chemical formula H₂O.
The term appears in scientific contexts when discussing water at the molecular level: Water molecules are polar, which explains why water dissolves so many substances.
In everyday speech, people typically just say "water" unless specifically discussing chemistry or physics.
- H2OWater's molecular notation
- chemical formulaSymbolic substance representation
- hydrogenSimplest atomic element
- oxygenElement eight, colorless gas
- covalent bondShared-electron atomic link
hydrogen bond · bond · polar · liquid · ice · ice crystal · steam · droplet · crystal · triple point · dipole · solvent · hydration · aqueous · evaporation · condensation · freezing · boiling
- Hydrogenhydrogen, H2, hydrogen gas, hydrogen fuel, dihydrogen
- chemical bondingcovalent bonds, ionic bonds, hydrogen bonds, double bonds, single bonds
- chemical bondscovalent bond, covalent bonds, ionic bond, ionic bonds, ionic
- Stereochemistrychirality, stereoisomer, enantiomer, conformer, axial
water moleculeatom
Element's smallest unit
macromolecule · polymer · hydrogen atom · subatomic particle · electron
water, molecule, waters, watered, watering, watery, waterless, watershed, waterfall