Weak noncovalent attractions in the cell can be very strong in a nonaqueous environment. Some of these attractions are as strong as covalent interactions in a vacuum (their bond energy is approximately 340 kJ/mole), but become more than twenty-five times weaker (their bond energy becomes approximately 13 kJ/mole) in water. What type of attraction shows this phenomenon?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The probing of the charged ions by water molecules greatly reduces the bond energy of ionic bonds (electrostatic interactions) in aqueous solutions. Hydrogen bonds are also weakened in water, but they are not that strong in a vacuum to begin with.

Weak Noncovalent Attractions in the Cell Can Be Very Strong