Ice is held together in a ________ structure.

• A. hydrogen-bonded
• B. metallic
• C. ionic
• D. covalent network

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the nature of ice: Ice is the solid form of water (H\_2O). The structure of ice depends on how water molecules interact with each other in the solid state.
2. Recall the types of bonding: Metallic bonding occurs in metals, ionic bonding occurs between metals and nonmetals forming ions, covalent network bonding involves atoms connected in a continuous network (like diamond), and hydrogen bonding is a special type of dipole-dipole interaction involving hydrogen atoms bonded to highly electronegative atoms like oxygen.
3. Consider water molecule interactions: In ice, each water molecule forms hydrogen bonds with neighboring water molecules due to the polarity of the O-H bonds and the presence of lone pairs on oxygen.
4. Recognize that these hydrogen bonds create an open, hexagonal lattice structure in ice, which is less dense than liquid water.
5. Conclude that the correct description of the structure holding ice together is a hydrogen-bonded structure.