CHEMICAL POLARITY Meaning and
Definition
-
Chemical polarity refers to the separation of electric charge within a molecule or chemical compound. It arises due to differences in the electronegativity (the tendency of an atom to attract electrons) of the atoms involved in chemical bonding. When two atoms bonded together have different electronegativities, such as oxygen and hydrogen, a polar covalent bond is formed. This means that the shared electrons are more attracted to the atom with higher electronegativity, resulting in a partial negative charge on that atom and a partial positive charge on the other atom.
The polarity of individual bonds within a molecule can give rise to the overall polarity of the molecule. Molecules are considered polar if there is an unequal distribution of charge, with one end of the molecule being more positively charged and the other end more negatively charged. Conversely, nonpolar molecules have an equal distribution of charge or lack any significant electric dipole.
The concept of chemical polarity is important in fields such as chemistry, biology, and materials science. It influences various molecular properties, including solubility, intermolecular forces, and chemical reactions. Additionally, the "like dissolves like" principle is based on polarity, where polar solvents dissolve polar solutes and nonpolar solvents dissolve nonpolar solutes.
Understanding chemical polarity helps scientists explain and predict the behavior of molecules in reactions, molecular interactions, and the properties of substances.
Etymology of CHEMICAL POLARITY
The word "chemical" is derived from the Latin word "chemicus" or "chymicus", which originated from the Greek word "khēmeia", meaning "alchemy" or "chemistry". The term "polarity" comes from the Late Latin word "polaritas", which refers to "having a direction, tendency, or orientation". The term "polaritas" developed from the Latin word "polus", meaning "end or extremity of an axis". When combined, "chemical polarity" refers to the directional or asymmetrical properties exhibited by molecules due to the differences in electronegativity between their constituent atoms.
