The main difference between polar and nonpolar covalent bonds is that polar covalent bonds are chemical bonds where electrons are shared unequally between two atoms due to the difference in electronegativity, whereas nonpolar covalent bonds are chemical bonds in which electrons are shared equally between two atoms due to the similar electronegativities.
Atoms bond together by different types of chemical bonds, like covalent bonds and ionic bonds. Coolant bonds are of two types: polar covalent bonds and nonpolar covalent bonds. Polar covalent bonds and nonpolar covalent bonds have different properties.
Key Areas Covered
1. What are Polar Covalent Bonds
– Definition, Features, Solubility
2. What are Nonpolar Covalent Bonds
– Definition, Features, Solubility
3. Difference Between Polar and Nonpolar Covalent Bonds
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Polar Covalent Bonds, Nonpolar Covalent Bonds
What are Polar Covalent Bonds
Polar covalent bonds are a type of chemical bond where electrons are shared unequally between the two atoms bonded. This is due to the difference in the electronegativity of the atoms. In polar covalent bonds, one atom gets a partial positive charge, whereas the other atom gets a partial negative charge. These types of covalent bonds are present in many types of molecules, such as ammonia, water, and hydrogen fluoride.
Covalent bonding occurs when two atoms share one or more electrons to form a stable molecule. This type of chemical bonding occurs between non-metallic atoms like oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen, having higher electronegativities. Electronegativity is a measure of the potential of the atom to attract the electrons in a bond toward the atom’s side. Moreover, polar covalent bonds have a dipole moment.
Polar covalent bonds are common in many biological processes and chemical reactions. They are associated with the structure of molecules, properties of liquids and solids, and the behavior of chemical reactions.
What are Nonpolar Covalent Bonds
Nonpolar covalent bonds are chemical bonds that share electrons equally between the two atoms in the bond. This equal sharing happens as a result of the similar electronegativities in the atoms participating in the bond. Here, the charge is distributed equally between the two atoms. Examples of nonpolar covalent bonds are H2 (hydrogen gas) O2, (oxygen gas) F2, and (fluorine gas).
The strength of nonpolar covalent bonds is determined by Factors like the distance between the two atoms participating in the bond and the number of electrons that are shared in the bond. One characteristic feature of nonpolar bonds it’s non-polarity. This non-polarity makes the compound insoluble in water and other polar solvents. This is because water is a polar molecule that cannot interact effectively with nonpolar molecules. Nonpolar molecules tend to form a separate layer in the polar solvent. They are more soluble in nonpolar solvents like CCL4 (carbon tetrachloride), CHCL3 (chloroform), etc. These nonpolar compounds mostly exist as gases and less commonly exist as liquids. Since the bond is nonpolar, they have zero dipole moment. They also have low melting points and boiling points due to weak intermolecular attractive forces between the molecules.
These nonpolar covalent compounds are associated with chemical and biological systems. Moreover, examples of nonpolar covalent bonds are common in the formation of proteins (there are nonpolar covalent bonds between the amino acids. Nonpolar covalent bonds are also present in organic compounds such as hydrocarbons.
Difference Between Polar and Nonpolar Covalent Bonds
Definition
Polar covalent bonds are chemical bonds where electrons are shared unequally between two atoms due to the difference in electronegativity, whereas nonpolar covalent bonds are chemical bonds in which electrons are shared equally between two atoms due to similar electronegativities.
Solubility in Water
Compounds with polar covalent bonds are soluble in water, whereas compounds with nonpolar covalent bonds are not soluble in water.
Polarity
Compounds with polar covalent bonds exhibit polarity, while compounds with nonpolar covalent bonds do not have polarity.
Dipole Moment
Polar covalent bonds possess a dipole moment, while nonpolar covalent bonds have a dipole moment equal to zero.
Conclusion
In brief, covalent bonds are of two types as polar covalent bonds and nonpolar covalent bonds. The properties of the compounds having these two types of bonds vary accordingly. The main difference between polar and nonpolar covalent bonds is that polar covalent bonds are chemical bonds where electrons are shared unequally between two atoms due to the difference in electronegativity, whereas nonpolar covalent bonds are chemical bonds in which electrons are shared equally between two atoms due to the similar electronegativities.
Reference:
1. “Polar Covalent Bond.” Science Direct.
2. “Non-polar Covalent Bond.” Byju’s.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Figure 02 01 11” By CNX OpenStax – (CC BY 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
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