Aim: What are polar

bonds and polar

molecules?
 Polar and Nonpolar Bonds
• There are two types of covalent bonds
• Nonpolar Covalent Bonds (equal share of electrons)
• Polar Covalent Bonds (unequal share of electrons)
Nonpolar Covalent Bonds
Nonpolar Covalent Bond
• A bond between 2 nonmetal atoms that have the same
electronegativity and therefore have equal sharing of the
bonding electron pair
• Example: In H-H each H atom has an electronegativity
value of 2.1, therefore the covalent bond between them is
considered nonpolar
Polar Covalent Bond

• A Polar Covalent Bond is unequal sharing of

electrons between two atoms (H-Cl)
• In a polar covalent bond, one atom typically has a
negative charge, and the other atom has a positive charge
Polar Covalent Bond
• A bond between 2 nonmetal atoms that have different
electronegativities and therefore have unequal sharing of
the bonding electron pair
• Example: In H-Cl, the electronegativity of the Cl atom is 3.0,
while that of the H atom is 2.1
• Electronegativity:
• The ability of an atom in a molecule to attract electrons
towards itself. As electronegativity increases, the attraction
of the atom for electrons increases.
 Classification of Bonds
You can determine the type of bond between two atoms by calculating
the difference in electronegativity values between the elements
The bigger the electronegativity difference the more polar the bond.

Type of Bond Electronegativity

Difference
Nonpolar Covalent 0  0.4
Polar Covalent 0.5  1.9
Ionic 2.0  4.0
EXAMPLES OF POLAR
• Water - H2O
• Ammonia - NH3
• Sulfur dioxide - SO2
• Hydrogen sulfide - H2S
• Ethanol - C2H6O
EXAMPLES OF NON POLAR
• Any of the noble gasses: He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe (These are
atoms, not technically molecules.)
• Any of the homonuclear diatomic elements: H2, N2, O2,
Cl2 (These are truly nonpolar molecules.)
• Carbon dioxide - CO2
• Benzene - C6H6
• Carbon tetrachloride - CCl4
 Is it Polar?

• HF

• H2O

• NH3

• CF4

• CO2
 Summary
• In a polar bond, one atom is more electronegative than the
other.
• In a nonpolar bond, both atoms have similar
electronegativities.
• An asymmetric molecule with polar bonds is a polar molecule.
• An asymmetric molecule with nonpolar bonds is a nonpolar
molecule.
• A symmetric molecule, regardless of the polarity of the bonds,
is always a nonpolar molecule.