Why does the oxygen atom in a water molecule have a negative charge?

O

A. Water is made of two ionic bonds.

O

B. Oxygen attracts electrons more strongly than hydrogen does.

O

C. Water is a nonpolar molecule.

O

D. Hydrogen bonding pulls electrons toward oxygen.

The answer is B.

Explanation:

A is incorrect because water is a molecule with covalent bonds.

C is incorrect because water is very much polar, since Oxygen has a relatively higher electronegativity than Hydrogen (so the difference of their electronegativities would be greater than 0.3 and less than 1.7).

D is incorrect because the bonds between elements in the water molecules is not hydrogen bonding since water is a molecule in its own right, with strong bonds.