In general, a polar bond is a type of covalent bond that belongs to a specific class. It can also be described as the dividing line between the development of a pure covalent bond and the formation of an ionic bond in some cases. To put it another way, if we want to be more precise, we can say that it is a bond that exists between two atoms that are composed of electrons that are irregularly dispersed in their orbitals. In this state, the molecules have a tendency to have an electrical dipole moment, with the two ends being either slightly positive or negative depending on the situation.
The presence or absence of electronegativity is a significant factor in defining the many types of covalent bonding. When an atom exhibits electronegativity, it is more likely to attract a shared pair of electrons to itself than to attract another electron pair. Because it is a tendency, it does not have any units. A polar covalent bond is a covalent link established between two atoms in a molecule in which there is an electronegative difference between their electronegativity.
Definition and Explanation of Polar Covalent Bond
When two nonmetal atoms with differing electronegativities come together, polar covalent bonds are frequently generated between them.
Consider the pairs A and B in which the difference in electronegativity between them is greater than zero and in which there is a covalent link between them. The shared pair of electrons that form a link between A and B migrate in the direction of the electronegative B molecule.
In this case, B receives a portion of negative charge and A receives a partial positive charge, resulting in two charges (Poles are generated, and this is referred to as a Dipolar molecule or a dipole or polar covalent module), as in the case of H – Cl. The shared pair of electrons in this molecule flows in the direction of the highly electronegative chlorine atom. The H atom receives a partial positive charge, and the Cl atom receives a partial negative charge, resulting in the formation of a dipole.
A polar covalent bond is represented by the water molecule, written as H2O. The electrons are distributed unequally, with the oxygen atom spending significantly more time with electrons than the hydrogen atoms, according to the equation. Consequently, the oxygen atom has a partial negative charge since electrons have spent more time with it.
Polar Covalent Compounds Have Specific Characteristics
- Physical state: Because of the stronger force of interactions, these compounds can exist as solids.
- Polar compounds have a higher melting and boiling point than nonpolar compounds, indicating that they are more reactive.
- Conductivity: Because of the mobility of the ions in the solution state, they conduct electricity when in solution.
- Insoluble in polar solvents such as water, they are extremely soluble.
Moment of Dipole
There is a physical parameter called Dipole moment (µ) that can explain why a covalent bond is polar. It is defined as the product of charge and the distance between two charged particles separated by a space. This is indicated by the symbol “‘, and its units are Debye (or) centimetres per second (cm2/sec).
Features of Dipole Moment
Dipole moment is a vector quantity that has the following characteristics:
- 2 . In the case of nonpolar molecules, the dipole moment is zero.
- The molecular dipole moment is equal to zero for symmetrically applicable systems.
For example, because carbon dioxide is linear, the net bond moment is equal to zero because the individual bond moments cancel with each other.
Explanation:
For example, carbon tetrachloride has zero dipole moment because the molecule has a tetrahydro structure and is very symmetrical.
- 4 . A covalent bond’s percentage ionic character can be calculated by using the dipole moment.
Electronegativity
Electronegativity, denoted by the symbol (𝛘), is the tendency of an atom of a certain chemical element to attract shared electrons (or electron density) when forming a chemical bond with another atom of the same chemical element.
The electronegativity of an atom is influenced by two factors: the atomic number of the atom and the distance between its valence electrons and its charged nucleus. The higher the related electronegativity, the greater the amount of electrons attracted to an atom or a substituent group.An easy way to estimate the bond energy, as well as the sign and magnitude of a bond’s chemical polarity, is to consider its electronegativity. Electronegativity characterises bonds along a continuum from covalent to ionic bonding, and it can be expressed in terms of either positive or negative values. In contrast to electronegativity, the loosely defined term electropositivity indicates an element’s proclivity to donate valence electrons, which is the opposite of electronegativity.
On the most fundamental level, electronegativity is determined by factors such as nuclear charge (the greater the number of protons in an atom, the greater the “pull” it will exert on electrons) and the number and location of other electrons in the atomic shells (the greater the number of electrons in an atom, the farther away from the nucleus the valence electrons will be, and as a result, the less positive charge they will experience—both because the other electronic charges are greater.
Conclusion
A polar covalent bond is one formed between two atoms with an unequal distribution of electrons. Because of this, the molecules have an electrical dipole moment, with two ends slightly positive or negative.
When two nonmetal atoms with different electronegativities come together, they usually form polar covalent bonds.
The symbol represents an atom’s tendency to attract shared electrons (or electron density) while forming a chemical connection with another atom of the same chemical element.