Question

how do i determine if a bond is polar or non polar

Answer 1

In order to find if a certain element is polar or non polar, You need to calculate its polarity. This is done by using the electro negativities. In the periodic table, it states the EN or electro negativity of each element. So generally what you do is that you get the En of the two elements which make up the compound. After you subtract the bigger EN from the smaller EN. If you get the difference of the EN to be >

0-Pure covalent bond
0-0.5 covalent bond.
0.5 to 1.7 POLAR bond
1.7 and up is Ionic bond..

If you have been in introduced to the EN it is best to do it this way. Example:

Maybe you want to find that if a water molecule is polar or non polar.

This is what you do .

En of Hydrogen= 2.1
En of Oxygen= 3.5

So you subtract 3.5 – 2.1 = 1.4

You get and difference EN of 1.4..

If you look above, if the EN is between 1.7 ad 0.5------IT’S A polar molecule.


Another example….. MgO – magnesium oxide

Answer 2

minor correction, but a single atom is neither polar, nor non-polar. The bond that two atoms form may be polar based on the difference in electronegativities of the 2 atoms bonding