The bonding in a water molecule, H₂O, can be shown by a dot and cross diagram - OCR Gateway - GCSE Chemistry: Combined Science - Question 8 - 2020 - Paper 1

To determine the correct dot and cross diagram for the water molecule (H₂O), we need to consider its structure:

1. Structure of Water: Water consists of two hydrogen (H) atoms and one oxygen (O) atom. The oxygen atom has six valence electrons, while each hydrogen atom has one.

2. Bonding: In water, the oxygen atom forms covalent bonds with two hydrogen atoms by sharing electrons. This sharing can be represented in a dot and cross diagram where dots represent the electrons from hydrogen atoms and crosses represent the electrons from the oxygen atom.

3. Analysis of Options:

   • Option A: Does not accurately represent the electron sharing.
   • Option B: Incorrect representation of bonding.
   • Option C: Displays one oxygen atom with two hydrogen atoms correctly forming covalent bonds by sharing electrons. This corresponds to the dot and cross representation.
   • Option D: Similar to option A and also incorrect.

Thus, the correct answer is Option C, as it accurately represents the bonding in a water molecule.