key term - Dipole moment

Definition

A dipole moment is a measure of the separation of positive and negative charges in a molecule, indicating the direction and magnitude of polarity. It arises when atoms in a bond share electrons unequally due to differences in electronegativity.

Related terms

Polar Covalent Bond: A type of chemical bond where two atoms share a pair of electrons unequally, leading to a distribution of charge.

Electronegativity:

A measure of how strongly an atom can attract or hold onto electrons when it forms a chemical bond.

Molecular Polarity:

The uneven distribution of molecular charge, resulting from the vector sum of individual bond dipoles and lone pair contributions in a molecule