Polarizability

[aphung1E]

How do you determine if a compound is polar or not?

[Jamie Lee 1F]

I'm pretty sure you would either use the electronegativity chart, or look a the molecule itself. If the molecule is asymmetrical, it will be polar, but if it is symmetrical then it will be nonpolar.

[Joanne Kang 3I]

To make sure, you should draw the compound's lewis structure. When you draw it, you may notice that the bonds within it are polar, meaning one atom is more delta negative or positive than the other.

[Aadil Rehan 1D]

Another thing to look out for is the presence of electronegative atoms in the molecule. The most common offenders are Fluorine, Oxygen, and Nitrogen, but most of the right side of the periodic table count. If a compound is all carbons and hydrogens, it's nonpolar.

[TimVintsDis4L]

If the difference in electronegativity for the atoms in a bond is greater than 0.4, then it's polar. If the difference in electronegativity is less than 0.4, then it's non polar.

[TarynD_1I]

You would calculate the difference in electronegativity between the atoms. Polar molecules usually also have a dipole moment, or a difference in partial charges within the molecule.