Answer to Question #157249 in General Chemistry for Isurini Sirisena

Question

A bond between two atoms in a molecule may possess a dipole.
(a) Explain how this dipole arises.
(b) Some bonds that you are likely to meet in organic chemistry
are listed. Which of these bonds are likely to possess a dipole?
In each case indicate which atom is δ+ and which is δ−.
C—Cl O—H C—C C—O C=C C—N N—H

Answer 1

(a)In chemistry, a dipole usually refers to the separation of charges within a molecule between two covalently bonded atoms or atoms that have an ionic bond. For example, a water molecule (H2O) is a dipole. The oxygen side of the molecule carries a net negative charge, while the side with two hydrogen atoms has a net positive electric charge. The charges of a molecule, such as water, are partial charges, meaning they don't add up to a "1" for a proton or electron. All polar molecules are dipoles

(b)

C — Cl

 C^{δ +} Cl^δ−

C — N

 C^{δ +} N^δ−

C — H

 H^{δ +} C^δ−

H — N

 H^{δ +} N^δ−

H — O

 H^{δ +} O^δ−

C — O

 C^{δ +} O^δ−