Molecular Dipole Moment (College Board AP® Chemistry) : Study Guide

Oluwapelumi Kolawole

Written by: Oluwapelumi Kolawole

Reviewed by: Stewart Hird

Updated on

Molecular Dipole Moment

  • Molecular dipole moments give information about the separation of charges in a molecule

  • The dipole moment (?) is a measure of the net polarity in a molecule and is measured in Debyes (D)

    • It is a product of the charge, Q, at the end of a dipole and the distance, r, between the charge

  • The greater the difference in electronegativity between the bonded atoms of the molecule, the greater the dipole moment of that molecule

  • For example, in chloromethane, the C—Cl bond has a dipole moment because chlorine is more electronegative than carbon

    • The chlorine atom develops a partial negative (δ-) charge

    • The carbon atom develops a partial positive charge (δ+)

    • Therefore, the C—Cl bond is described as a polar bond

  • The dipole moment in the molecule is represented using an arrow with a plus at the end

    • The plus end of the arrow represents the positive atom or end of the polar bond / dipole moment

    • The arrowhead represents the negative atom or end of the polar bond / dipole moment

Molecular Dipole Moment

dipole-moment

A dipole moment exists between C-Cl bonds due to the large difference in electronegativity between the carbon and chlorine atoms.

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Oluwapelumi Kolawole

Author: Oluwapelumi Kolawole

Expertise: Chemistry Content Creator

Oluwapelumi is a Pharmacist with over 15000+ hours of AP , IB, IGCSE, GCSE and A-Level chemistry tutoring experience. His love for chemistry education has seen him work with various Edtech platforms and schools across the world. He’s able to bring his communication skills as a healthcare professional in breaking down seemingly complex chemistry concepts into easily understood concepts for students.

Stewart Hird

Reviewer: Stewart Hird

Expertise: Chemistry Lead

Stewart has been an enthusiastic GCSE, IGCSE, A Level and IB teacher for more than 30 years in the UK as well as overseas, and has also been an examiner for IB and A Level. As a long-standing Head of Science, Stewart brings a wealth of experience to creating Topic Questions and revision materials for Save My Exams. Stewart specialises in Chemistry, but has also taught Physics and Environmental Systems and Societies.

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