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When a highly electronegative atom is attached to a less electronegative atom, then the former one attracts the shared pair of electrons towards itself.

Such a molecule is polar molecule.

Polarity of molecule means the product of charge on molecule and the distance between the atoms.

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13y ago
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5mo ago

Polarity in a water molecule is caused by an uneven distribution of electrons between the oxygen and hydrogen atoms. Due to oxygen's higher electronegativity, it attracts electrons more strongly, creating a partial negative charge near the oxygen atom and partial positive charges near the hydrogen atoms, resulting in a polar molecule.

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10y ago

Basically this is because of unequal sharing of electrons. The oxygen atom is much more electronegative than the hydrogen, so the electrons tend toward the oxygen nucleus so that the oxygen atom is relatively negative and the hydrogen atoms are relatively positive.

Also, the hydrogen atoms are not directly opposite each other across the oxygen atom - the angle between their bonds with the oxygen is 104.5 degrees. This causes a dipole moment, meaning that the molecule, even though it is neutral overall, has areas where there is a greater electron density than other areas of the molecule. The shared electrons spend a disproportionately high amount of time around the oxygen than they do around the hydrogen, making the oxygen a negatively charged region and the hydrogen a positively charged region.

The oxygen molecule pulls electrons from hydrogen to itself and becomes negatively charged, hydrogen that is now further from its electrons becomes positively charged.

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8y ago

Each water molecule is made up of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms which are bonded together in an asymmetrical manner. Oxygen has a much greater electronegativity (3.44) compared to hydrogen (2.2) and so attracts the bonding electrons more strongly. This results in an excess negative charge at the oxygen atom and corresponding positive charges at the hydrogen atoms.

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10y ago

the unequal sharing of electrons causes polarity in water molecules

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16y ago

I believe its a form of electrical charge. I believe its a form of electrical charge.

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12y ago

Ions (positive) or cations (negative)

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Q: What causes polarity in water molecule?
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Related questions

What causes the polarity of a water molecule?

the unequal sharing of electrons


How water acts as a lubricant and transport facilitator?

The polarity of the water molecule, which causes hydrogen bonds to form between the water molecules, is the characteristic that enables it to act as a lubricant.


What is a shorter answer for what causes polarity in a water molecule?

Asymmetrical distribution of electrons in the water molecule due to oxygen's higher electronegativity creates a partial negative charge near the oxygen atom and partial positive charges near the hydrogen atoms, leading to polarity.


How does a drawing of polarity water and the bond polarities make a major contribution to the overall molecular polarity look?

A drawing showing the polarity of water and bond polarities can help visualize the asymmetrical distribution of charge in the molecule. This asymmetry leads to a net dipole moment in water, resulting in a polar molecule. Understanding the molecular polarity of water is crucial for explaining its unique properties like hydrogen bonding and high surface tension.


How does the polarity of water molecules make water an effective solvent?

The polarity of the water molecule is what makes water a great solvent. It called the universal solvent.


What causes water to be a polor molecule?

Oxygen is a highly electronegative element that draws electrons towards itself causing an imbalance of charge and hence polarity.


What contributes to the polarity of a water molecule?

The polarity of a water molecule is due to its asymmetric shape, with the oxygen atom being more electronegative than the hydrogen atoms. This causes a partial negative charge on the oxygen atom and partial positive charges on the hydrogen atoms, creating a polar covalent bond.


Methanol or water which is higher polarity?

Water is higher in polarity compared to methanol because water is a polar molecule that contains polar covalent bonds due to the unequal sharing of electrons, while methanol is also polar but to a lesser extent due to the presence of a methyl group that reduces the overall polarity of the molecule.


Why then is carbon dioxide of non polar molecule while water is a polar molecule?

Carbon dioxide is linear any polarity in the C=O bonds cancel each other out. Water is bent the polarity in the O-H bonds does not cancel


Why is carbon dioxide a non polar molecule while water is polar molecule?

Carbon dioxide is linear any polarity in the C=O bonds cancel each other out. Water is bent the polarity in the O-H bonds does not cancel


Why then is carbon dioxide a non-polar molecule while water is a polar molecule?

Carbon dioxide is linear any polarity in the C=O bonds cancel each other out. Water is bent the polarity in the O-H bonds does not cancel


Why then is carbon dioxide a non polar molecule while water is a polar molecule?

Carbon dioxide is linear any polarity in the C=O bonds cancel each other out. Water is bent the polarity in the O-H bonds does not cancel