The correct answer is b) polar covalent.
In a water molecule (H2O), the oxygen atom is more electronegative than the hydrogen atoms. This difference in electronegativity causes the electrons shared between the oxygen and hydrogen atoms to be pulled closer to the oxygen atom, resulting in a partial negative charge on the oxygen and a partial positive charge on the hydrogen atoms. This creates a polar covalent bond, where there is a distribution of charge due to the unequal sharing of electrons.
Other options can be ruled out:
- a) nonpolar covalent: This type of bond would involve equal sharing of electrons, which does not occur between O and H.
- c) ionic: Ionic bonds form through the transfer of electrons, not sharing, which is not the case in water.
- d) hydrogen: Hydrogen bonds occur between water molecules, but they are not the bond that holds O and H together in a single water molecule.
- e) all of these: Since only one bond type is correct, this option is incorrect.
Therefore, the bond that connects oxygen and hydrogen in water is a polar covalent bond, which is crucial for many of water’s unique properties.