Polar Substance in AP Chemistry

Definition

A polar substance is a type of chemical substance where electrons are not shared equally between atoms in a molecule. This unequal sharing results in regions with slight electrical charges.

Related terms

Dipole Moment: This term refers to the measure of polarity in a chemical species.

Hydrophilic: These are substances that can mix with or dissolve in water. Polar substances tend to be hydrophilic because they can form hydrogen bonds with water.

Electronegativity:

This term describes an atom's ability to attract shared electrons towards itself. The difference in electronegativity values determines whether a bond will be nonpolar or polar.