Section 8.

5 Electronegativity and Polarity

• Describe how electronegativity is used to determine

bond type.
• Compare and contrast polar and nonpolar covalent
bonds and polar and nonpolar molecules.
• Generalize about the characteristics of covalently
bonded compounds.

electronegativity: the relative ability of an atom to

attract electrons in a chemical bond
Section 8.5 Electronegativity and Polarity (cont.)

polar covalent bond

A chemical bond’s character is related

to each atom’s attraction for the
electrons in the bond.
 Electron Affinity, Electronegativity, and
Bond Character
•Most bonds are a blend of ionic and
covalent characteristics.

•Difference in electronegativity
determines bond type.
Electronegativity
Attraction an atom has for a shared
pair of electrons.
higher e-neg atom  -
lower e-neg atom +
Electron Affinity, Electronegativity, and
Bond Character (cont.)
• This table lists the character and type of
chemical bond that forms with differences
in electronegativity.
Electron Affinity, Electronegativity, and Bond Character (cont.)

• Unequal sharing of electrons results in a

polar covalent bond.
• Bonding is often not clearly ionic or covalent.
• This graph summarizes the range of
chemical bonds between two atoms.
Polar Covalent Bonds

• Polar covalent bonds form when atoms pull

on electrons in a molecule unequally.
• Electrons spend more time around one atom
than another resulting in partial charges at
the ends of the bond called a dipole.
Examples:
• Cl2 3.0-3.0=0.0
Nonpolar

• HCl 3.0-2.1=0.9
Polar

• NaCl 3.0-0.9=2.1
Ionic
 Bond Polarity
Nonpolar Covalent Bond
 e- are shared equally
 symmetrical e- density
 usually identical atoms
 Bond Polarity
Polar Covalent Bond
 e- are shared unequally
 asymmetrical e- density
 results in partial charges (dipole)

+  -
 Bond Polarity

Nonpolar

Polar

Ionic
 Dipole Moment
Direction of the polar bond in a molecule.
Arrow points toward the more e-neg atom.

 + H Cl  -
Determining Molecular Polarity
Depends on:
 dipole moments
 molecular shape
Determining Molecular Polarity
Nonpolar Molecules
 Dipole moments are symmetrical and
cancel out.
 Or…
F
 Bonds are nonpolar

BF3
B

F F
Determining Molecular Polarity
Polar Molecules
 Must have polar bonds and…
 Dipole moments are asymmetrical and don’t
cancel .

O net
H2O dipole
H moment
H
Determining Molecular Polarity
Therefore, polar molecules have...
 asymmetrical shape (lone pairs) or
 asymmetrical atoms

net
CHCl3 dipole
Cl
moment
Cl
Cl
 Intermolecular Forces
Attractions are weak compared to ionic and
covalent bonds between atoms
(intra-bonding) = strong
Forces of attraction between two molecules
(inter-bonding) = weak
Three Types of IMF…
 Hydrogen Bonding – Strongest of the weak

 Dipole (polar) Bonding – medium of the

weak
 Dispersion Forces – weakest of the weak
 Hydrogen
Bonding
Bonding
between
hydrogen and
Second row
elements N,
O, & F only.

http://chemmovies.unl.edu/ChemAnime/index.htm
Dipole-Dipole
Attractions
•Attractions
between polar
neighboring
molecules.
•Not as strong as
H-bonding
 Dispersion Forces
•Are caused by the
movements of electrons
around the nucleus of an
atom. (Nonpolar Molecules
only)
•More electrons you have the
stronger the DF.

Fritz London
1900-1954 Dispersion forces increase
with the size of the
molecules. (number of atoms)
 Relative magnitudes of forces

Strongest Ionic & Covalent bonds (between atoms)

Hydrogen bonding (between molecules)

Dipole-dipole interactions (between molecules)

Weakest Dispersion Forces (between molecules)

Section 8.5 Assessment

The force between water molecules is

what kind of intermolecular force?
A. induced dipole
B. hydrogen bond
C. sigma bond A. A
D. partial dipole B. B
C. C
0% 0% 0% 0%
D. D
A

D
Section 8.5 Assessment

What kind of bond occurs within a

molecule with unequal sharing of electron
pairs?
A. ionic bond
B. sigma bond
A. A
C. non-polar covalent bond
B. B
D. polar covalent bond C. C
0% 0% 0% 0%
D. D
A