Question

Polarizabilty refers to _____?

A. the ability to transmit polarized light
B. the ease with which a hydrogen bond can form
C. the perturbation in an electron density because of hydrogen bonding
D. the ease with which the electron cloud of an atom or molecule can be distorted
E. the magnitude of a dipole moment of a molecule

Answer 1

Polarizability is the ease with which the electron cloud of an atom or molecule can be distorted by an electrostatic charge, affecting intermolecular forces and physical properties like melting and boiling points.

Step-by-step explanation:

Polarizability refers to the ease with which the electron cloud of an atom or molecule can be distorted. This measure of polarizability indicates how the presence of an electrostatic charge can distort a molecule's charge distribution—its electron cloud. In the context of polyatomic molecules, which are molecules containing more than two atoms, polarizability plays a significant role in their physical properties such as melting and boiling points. Larger atoms have more loosely-held electrons and therefore a higher polarizability, which directly affects the strength of dispersion forces among molecules.

The concept of polarizability is also closely related to how intermolecular forces, particularly London dispersion forces, contribute to these physical properties. A highly polarizable molecule has a charge cloud that can easily be distorted, leading to large dispersion forces, while a molecule with low polarizability will have small dispersion forces.