What characteristic of water allows for intermolecular hydrogen bonding?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Water has a very simple molecular structure. It is made up of two Hydrogen atoms covalently bonded to one atom of Oxygen. This setup leads to 4 pairs of electrons around the oxygen atom. 2 pairs of electrons are involved in the covalent bond that attaches the hydrogen atoms to the oxygen atom. This leaves two unshared pairs of electrons on the opposite side of the oxygen atom. This uneven distribution in electron density is known as polarity.
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The polarity of water is important because it allows water molecules to form hydrogen bonds with other molecules (including other molecules of water).
Hydrogen bonding results in many benefits, including:
High specific heat:  it requires a lot of heat to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius
Strong cohesive properties: water can stick to itself
Strong adhesive properties: water can stick to other molecules
Versatile solvent properties: water dissolves many polar and charged molecules
One thing to remember for the HESI A2: covalent bonds attach the hydrogen atoms to the oxygen atom in a molecule of water, but hydrogen bonds are what connect water molecules to other molecules (of water and other types of molecules).
 11ec0fda_9976_f5d2_a67f_7360fd48e811_NR0004_00 Image credit: OpenStax College

What Characteristic of Water Allows for Intermolecular Hydrogen Bonding