What is the Difference Between Polar and Nonpolar Covalent Bonds?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The main difference between polar and nonpolar covalent bonds lies in the equal or unequal sharing of electrons between atoms. Here are the key differences between polar and nonpolar covalent bonds:
- Polar Covalent Bonds: These bonds result when electrons are unequally shared between atoms, often due to differences in their electronegativities. In a polar covalent bond, one atom attracts the shared electrons more strongly than the other atom, leading to partial charges and a dipole moment. Examples of polar covalent bonds include hydrogen fluoride (HF) and hydrogen chloride (HC).
- Nonpolar Covalent Bonds: These bonds result when electrons are more equally shared between atoms. Nonpolar covalent bonds occur when the electronegativities of the two atoms involved are quite similar, and as a result, the bonding electrons are shared evenly between the two atoms. The only time you would have a nonpolar covalent bond is when you have two of the same atom bound together. Examples of nonpolar covalent bonds include carbon dioxide (CO2) and pentane.
The polarity of a covalent bond can be assessed by comparing the electronegativities of the two atoms sharing electrons. If the difference in electronegativities is less than 0.4, the bond is considered nonpolar; if the difference is greater than 0.4, the bond is considered polar.
Comparative Table: Polar vs Nonpolar Covalent Bonds
The main difference between polar and nonpolar covalent bonds lies in the equal or unequal sharing of electrons between the atoms involved in the bond. Here is a comparison table highlighting the differences between polar and nonpolar covalent bonds:
Property | Polar Covalent Bonds | Nonpolar Covalent Bonds |
---|---|---|
Electron Sharing | Unequal sharing of electrons | Equal sharing of electrons |
Electronegativity Difference | Electronegativity difference between the atoms is greater than 0.4 | Electronegativity difference between the atoms is less than 0.4 |
Charge Separation | Presence of charge separation | No charge separation |
Dipole Moment | Dipole moment is present | No dipole moment |
Examples | Hydrogen and oxygen in a water molecule | Carbon dioxide |
In a polar covalent bond, the atoms have different electronegativities, causing an unequal sharing of electrons and a dipole moment. In contrast, nonpolar covalent bonds have an equal sharing of electrons and no dipole moment, resulting from similar electronegativities between the atoms involved in the bond.
- Covalent vs Polar Covalent
- Covalent vs Noncovalent Bonds
- Polar vs Nonpolar
- Ionic vs Covalent Bonds
- Polar Bonds vs Polar Molecules
- Coordinate Covalent Bond vs Covalent Bond
- Polar vs Nonpolar Solvents
- Polar vs Dipolar Molecules
- Electrovalent vs Covalent Bond
- Hydrogen Bond vs Covalent Bond
- Polar vs Nonpolar Amino Acids
- Electrovalency vs Covalency
- Ionic vs Covalent Compounds
- Antibonding vs Nonbonding
- Electronegativity vs Polarity
- Covalent Bond vs Dative Bond
- Bond Dipole vs Molecular Dipole
- Polarizability vs Dipole Moment
- Ionic Bonding vs Metallic Bonding