Dipole Moments

Bond dipole: Points from less electronegative to more electronegative atom.
Net dipole: Vector sum of all bond dipoles.
Polar molecule: Has a net dipole moment (bond dipoles don't cancel).
Nonpolar molecule: Bond dipoles cancel due to symmetric geometry.

Common Patterns

Symmetric molecules (e.g., CH₄, CO₂, BF₃, SF₆) are nonpolar.
Molecules with lone pairs on the central atom often have asymmetric geometry and are polar.
Homonuclear diatomics (H₂, Cl₂) have no dipole.

Dipole Moment Practice

Determine if each molecule is polar or nonpolar, then identify the dipole direction.

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Is this molecule polar or nonpolar?

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