How to Distinguish Between Polar and Non-Polar
Polar and non-polar are chemistry terms used to describe a molecule's electronegativity state. All molecules are composed of atoms, and every atom has its own unique level of electronegativity. For instance, a Carbon atom has an electronegativity of 2.5 while a Nitrogen atom has an electronegativity of 3. When atoms with different electronegativity levels come together to form a molecule, there is a chance that the resulting compound will host an unbalanced distribution of electronegative charge. When this happens, a molecule is considered to be polar.
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Instructions
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Identify the electronegativity of the different atoms in the molecular compound by reviewing a periodic table of elements. Given the molecule BF3, for instance, Boron (B) has an electronegativity of 2 and Fluorine (F) has an electronegativity of 4.
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Sketch the molecule's structural configuration by using the Lewis dot diagram methodology. Note its shape. Possible shapes for a molecular compound include octahedral, trigonal bipyramidal, tetrahedral, trigonal planar, square pyramidal, linear and square planar.
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Distinguish between polar and non-polar by reviewing the molecule's electronegativity levels and structural configuration. If all the atoms in the molecule share the same electronegativity, it is by default non-polar. Likewise, if the molecule has a symmetrical shape, it is also non-polar. If the molecule doesn't fit either two of the above specifications, then it is polar.
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