Chemistry / Unit 6 Chem 1060 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Molecular Polarity from Bond Polarity and Geometry
Captions available
The idea
A molecule is polar only if it has polar bonds arranged asymmetrically, so their individual dipoles fail to cancel to zero.
In practice
Water's two O–H bond dipoles, bent at an angle rather than opposite each other, add to a net molecular dipole.
Where people slip
Bond polarity alone never determines molecular polarity — the molecule's overall geometry decides whether those bond dipoles cancel.
Your place on the trail
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