how can a water molecule be both neutral and polar at the same time?..

Question

aaronq · Answer

the term $neutral$ applies to water as a solvent. In pure water, 25 degrees celsius, the concentration of $H_3O^+$ is equal to the concentration of $OH^-$, thus the pH is 7.

The term polar refers to the the type of covalent bond between an H and the oxygen atom of the molecule. The electrons that make up that bond are not equally shared by the two atoms, since oxygen is more electronegative there is a higher electron density around it. The label polar in a covalent bond means that the electronegativity difference between the two atoms is more than 0.4,