What impact does water's hydrogen bonding have on its surface tension?

Water's hydrogen bonding leads to high surface tension primarily because of the cohesive forces between water molecules. Each water molecule can form hydrogen bonds with up to four other water molecules, resulting in a strong network of interactions. These cohesive forces mean that molecules at the surface are pulled inward and sideways by the surrounding molecules, creating a "film" effect on the surface of the water.

This strong attraction between water molecules at the surface is what contributes to water’s ability to resist external force, which is what we refer to as surface tension. Organisms, such as water striders, can take advantage of this high surface tension to walk on water without sinking. Thus, through this mechanism of hydrogen bonding and the resulting cohesive forces, water exhibits a higher surface tension compared to many other liquids.