Temporary Dipoles

[CNourian2H]

Can someone explain what a temporary dipole is and how it occurs? How does it happen on a nonpolar molecule?

[105335337]

A temporary dipole is a dipole created by a non polar molecule. For example N3 which has two Nitrogen atoms triple bonded to each other (both with one lone pair) can create a temporary dipole on itself do to electron dispersion. The e- will not always be completely stable, so sometimes one of the N's will get a positive effect while the other will get a negative effect. This is a temporary dipole. It can then be attracted to other positive/negative molecules.

[Sam McNeill 1E]

Think about how the electrons are constantly moving, so when they are clumped together on one side with a high density, that creates a temporary dipole.

[KNguyen_1I]

Let's say a molecule with dipoles and one that does not. Due to the electronegative pull exerted on the nonpolar molecule from the molecule with dipoles, the nonpolar molecule can temporarily develop dipoles in response to the electronegative pull. It's a bit like a magnet and a piece of metal. The metal by itself may not necessarily have a magnetic field, but when passed into the field of the magnet itself the metal becomes magnetized and too has dipoles/poles.

[Abby Soriano 1J]

Temporary dipoles can occur even between two nonpolar molecules due to the constant movement of their valence electrons. As the electrons move, certain regions of the molecule become slightly more negative or slightly more positive, causing there to be a temporary dipole that can shift as quickly as the electrons move.

[Kellylin_4D]

electrons are always moving around, therefore, it also moves the charges around. For example, there may be more electrons on the left at one instance and there is temporarily a partial negative charge on the left, at another instance there can be a bunch of electrons on the bottom, so there will be a partial negative charge there until electrons move somewhere else.