Polarity

[Jordi M 2I]

Is polarity the same thing as covalent bonds having ionic character?

[Ivy Tan 1E]

Hi!
Yes, I think polarity and the ionic characteristics of covalent bonds are related. Polar covalent bonds have ionic character because the electrons are not shared equally, whereas nonpolar covalent bonds (when electrons are shared between the same atom) don't have ionic characteristics because the two atoms have the same electronegativity. Hope this helps!!

[Yu Jin Kwon 3L]

Hi Jordi!

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by ionic character, but polarity reflects how, in a covalent bond, when there are unequal electronegativities, the electrons are shared unequally (polar). If the elements have equal electronegativities, the electrons are shared equally and are called non-polar. So there is a difference in charge between the elements, so I think that kind of reflects the "ionic character" you're talking about.

[David Jen 1J]

Polarity means that there is an unequal charge, an unequal distribution of a shared electron. Thus a polar covalent bond has polarity because of an unequally shared electron.

[Nina Tartibi 1F]

Yes! Polar covalent bonds resemble the same characteristics as ionic bonds, because there is an unequal distribution of electrons between the two elements. As stated in Lavelle's lecture #16, all covalent bonds have some ionic character, except when you are dealing with a bond between two of the same element, such as H-H.

[Morgan Gee 3B]

Polarity is commonly used in context of the distribution of electrons due to a difference in electronegativity between two elements. For example, nonpolar covalent bonds and polar covalent bonds describe the distribution of electrons between two bonded nonmetals.

[Renny_kim_2G]

If you are referring to ionic characters as in the partial positive and negative charges due to differences in electronegativities, then that probably means that the two are interchangeable in some ways.

[Brandon Le 3C]

Since the electrons of polar covalent bonds are not shared equally, the polar bonds have ionic character; on the other hand, since the electrons of nonpolar covalent bonds are shared equally between the same atom, it does not have ionic characteristics. Therefore, polarity is basically the same as a covalent bond having ionic character.

[Jaden Haskins 2E]

Polarity is the partial positive and partial negative charges of a covalent bond, meaning electrons are shared unequally.

[Gustavo_Chavez_1K]

Polarity is similar to characteristics of ionic bonds in the sense that they both describe partial positive and partial negative charges. This means that electrons are shared unequally.