In a bond between atoms of different electronegativities the electrons lean towards the more electronegative atom, which bears a partial charge while its partner bears (). The bond dipole is the vector , of norm , pointing from the negative to the positive partial charge, being the vector between them. The dipole moment of a molecule is the vector sum of its bond dipoles (and of the contributions of its lone pairs); it is expressed in coulomb metres or in debyes, . A molecule with a non-zero dipole moment is a polar molecule.
Examples
Example 3.25 (Polar and non-polar molecules)
, , and have zero dipole moments. (), () and () are polar. Along , , the moment falls, 1.87, 1.62, , to vanish in : the bond dipoles increasingly cancel. Among the hydrogen halides it follows the electronegativity difference: HF 1.83, HCl 1.09, HBr 0.83, HI .