How are molecules in a liquid organized (eg h2o in liquid water)? Are they all connected (as in solids like ice) or is there more empty space between them?

Question

Apologies if this question is confusing.

I get that if you see a block of ice that it’s just all h2o molecules packed/linked right next to each other with miniscule amounts of empty space between them but I’m not sure how the h2o molecules in liquid water are organized. Is it the same where water is 100% h2o molecules all connected to each other with little to no space between each molecule but in a more amorphous shape? Or is there much more space between the molecules/they aren’t directly connected to each other and they’re all just floating around more?

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

In addition to being more dense than ice when in liquid state, liquid water also makes and breaks Hydrogen bonds more. As the particles move past each other, they may form or break these bonds. H bonds are why there is surface tension in liquid as well as the lattice structure of ice. Vapor it’s less of a thing because they have so much energy that they don’t form those bonds anymore. [water phase change](https://youtu.be/NQhjAtCKghE) this video is a good demonstration of the intermolecular bonds.