3.8 Bond Polarity
FIGURE 3.13
In other covalent bonds, electrons are shared equally. These bonds are callednonpolarcovalent bonds. Neither
atom attracts the shared electrons more strongly. As a result, the atoms remain neutral in charge. The oxygen (O 2 )
molecule in theFigure3.14 has two nonpolar bonds. The two oxygen nuclei have an equal force of attraction for
their four shared electrons.
FIGURE 3.14
Polar and Nonpolar Covalent Compounds
A covalent compound is a compound in which atoms are held together by covalent bonds. If the covalent bonds
are polar, then the covalent compound as a whole may be polar. A polar covalent compound is one in which there
is a slight difference in electric charge between opposite sides of the molecule. All polar compounds contain polar
bonds. But having polar bonds does not necessarily result in a polar compound. It depends on how the atoms are