Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
A polar covalent bond is a type of chemical bond where a pair of electrons is unequally shared between two atoms due to differences in electronegativity.
Related terms
Dipole: A pair of equal and oppositely charged poles separated by a distance.
Hydrogen Bond: A weak bond between two molecules resulting from an electrostatic attraction between a proton in one molecule and an electronegative atom in the other.
Electronegativity: The measure of the ability of an atom to attract electrons (or electron density) towards itself.