What is a a polar molecule?

Answer 1

Chemical bonding is the result of either an atom sharing one or more outer orbit electrons with another atom or an atom taking outer orbit electrons from the atom with which it is bonding. Normally, an atom has an even distribution of electrons in the orbits or shells, but if more end up on one side that the other in a molecule, there can be a resulting electrical field in that area.

A polar molecule is a bit like a magnet: the two ends of magnet are different, and if you poke a magnet with a second magnet, one end is attracted while the other end is repelled. In molecules it isn't magnetism but electric fields, but it has the same effect. One side of the molecule has more positive charge than the other side. So if you took a negatively charged stick and poked the molecule (it would have to be a very small stick!), then one side of the molecule would be repelled by the negatively charged stick (negative repels negative) and one side would be attracted (positive attracts negative).

See the Web Links and Related Questions to the left of this answer for more information about polarity and polar bonds.

Answer 2

A molecule with a negative pole and a positive pole