Polar/nonpolar molecules

[JulissaLopez1F]

What is a difference between polar and nonpolar? What does it mean for dipole moments to "cancel" depending on whether they are polar or nonpolar?

[Sascha_Clark_4I]

Polar molecules have a charge and nonpolar molecules do not have a charge. If dipole moments pull electrical charge in exactly opposite directions, they cancel and make the molecule nonpolar.

[Mason Henrich 3J]

Polarity is essentially the distribution of charge throughout a molecule. Once you draw a lewis structure, identify the difference in electronegativity in the bonds of the molecule and that identification determines the relative difference in charge of the atoms in that bond. If there is a large difference in electronegativity then there is a large difference in charge, creating a difference in charge that pulls electrons in one direction, causing the molecule to be unevenly charged. This is the dipole moment, which if not canceled by an equal and opposite dipole moment, a polar molecule is formed.

[Mannat Sukhija 1E]

Will we have to address the polarity of a molecule on questions? For example by noting them as cis- or trans- depending on whether the charges cancel?