Final answer:
Water molecules are dipolar because of the asymmetrical distribution of charges due to their bent shape and the electronegativity difference between oxygen and hydrogen, which results in a net dipole pointing towards the oxygen atom.
Step-by-step explanation:
Water molecules are dipolar due to their bent molecular structure, which arises from the two bonded hydrogen atoms and two lone pairs of electrons on the central oxygen atom. The electronegativity difference between the oxygen and hydrogen atoms creates individual O-H bond dipoles that point towards the more electronegative oxygen atom. Because of the geometry of the molecule, these dipoles do not cancel out, leaving one side of the molecule with a slight negative charge (the oxygen side) and the other side with a slight positive charge (the hydrogen side). This separation of charge makes water a polar molecule with a net dipole pointing towards the oxygen atom.