Q.Why is H2O a liquid and H2S a gas ?
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Step 1 — Compare O and S properties.
Oxygen: small atomic radius, very high electronegativity (3.44). Sulphur: larger radius, lower electronegativity (2.58).
Step 2 — Intermolecular forces in .
The high electronegativity and small size of O make the O–H bond strongly polar and allow the lone pairs on O to hydrogen-bond with H atoms of neighbouring molecules:
This extensive 3-D hydrogen-bonded network requires substantial energy to break, so water has an unusually high boiling point.
Step 3 — Absence of hydrogen bonding in .
Sulphur's larger size and lower electronegativity make the S–H bond only weakly polar, insufficient to support hydrogen bonding. molecules interact only via weak van der Waals forces, requiring little energy to separate.
Step 4 — Result. …
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