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once a molecule is found to contain polar bonds, what must also be true for the whole molecule to be polar?

User Aldeguer
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Final answer:

To be polar, a molecule must have a separation of charge and a net dipole moment. The dipole moment is determined by the arrangement of polar bonds and the molecular structure.

Step-by-step explanation:

A whole molecule may also have a separation of charge, depending on its molecular structure and the polarity of each of its bonds. If such a charge separation exists, the molecule is said to be a polar molecule (or dipole); otherwise the molecule is said to be nonpolar. The dipole moment measures the extent of net charge separation in the molecule as a whole. We determine the dipole moment by adding the bond moments in three-dimensional space, taking into account the molecular structure.

User Erfan Safarpoor
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