Dipole Moments

[Martina]

How do you determine if there is a dipole moment, and what exactly causes it?

[Heba Mengesha 3D]

Dipole moments occur when there is a separation of charge and arise from differences in electronegativity. The larger the difference in electronegativity, the larger the dipole moment.

[Ryan Yee 1J]

Dipole moments result from differences in electronegativity. When the differences in electronegativity fail to cancel out (point in opposite directions) then the electronegativity difference in the molecule creates a dipole moment. CCl4 is nonpolar and does not have a dipole moment because each of the C-Cl bonds cancels each other out. H2O is polar and has a dipole moment due to its bent shape, which causes the H-O bonds to point away from the lone pair of electrons on oxygen, and creates an electronegativity difference and a dipole moment.