how do water molecules act like magnets?

Question

anonymous · Answer

Welcome to open study!!! :) Water molecules hydrogen bond with neighboring water molecules. Hydrogen bonding is very strong. The partial positive of the oxygen attracts the partial positive of the hydrogen so they bind to each other.

abb0t · Answer

Just to go a little more in depth with this and help clarify, each atom that makes up a water molecule carries a charge, when they bond, the molecule itself is neutral, but there is still what is known as a partial charge. Hydrogen generally carries a positive charge while oxygen carries a negative charge. So you say, when bonded, oxygen has a partial negative, and the two hydrogens (protons), carry partial positives. The electrons on the outer shell of the oxygen is what carries the dipole.
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those symbols, $\sf \delta$, signify $partial$ charges on each of the atoms. As you know by now, opposites attract, and so if you were to place water near a charged rod, The charged rod induces the charges in the water ( which is neutral having equal pos and neg) to move on the surface of the water stream - so charges the same as the rod are repelled and opposite charges are attracted - the attraction force is strong enough to attract the water with the charges as long as the stream of water is small and slow flowing constantly.