Which statement best explains why water has a high heat of vaporization?

• A. Water vaporizes at a lower temperature than most liquids.
• B. Strong hydrogen bonding between water molecules requires more energy to break.
• C. Water molecules are nonpolar and do not interact with each other.
• D. Water has a low specific heat capacity.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that heat of vaporization is the amount of energy required to convert a liquid into a gas at its boiling point without changing temperature.
2. Recognize that the strength of intermolecular forces in a liquid affects its heat of vaporization: stronger forces require more energy to overcome.
3. Recall that water molecules are polar and form strong hydrogen bonds with each other, which are a type of strong intermolecular force.
4. Compare water to other liquids: because of these strong hydrogen bonds, more energy is needed to break the interactions between water molecules during vaporization.
5. Conclude that the high heat of vaporization of water is due to the strong hydrogen bonding between water molecules, which requires more energy to break compared to weaker intermolecular forces.