Ethylene glycol, HOCH2 CH2 OH, may look nonpolar when drawn, but an internal hydrogen bond resul

step 1 In this question, it says, ethylene glycol may look non -polar when drawn, but an internal hydro

Ethylene glycol, HOCH2 CH2 OH, may look nonpolar when drawn,...

Labs

Want to see this concept in action?

NEW

Explore this concept interactively to see how it behaves as you change inputs.

View Labs

Key Concepts

Molecular Polarity

Molecular polarity arises when there is an uneven distribution of electron density within a molecule, leading to regions of partial positive and negative charges. Even if a molecule appears symmetric in a simplified structural drawing, subtle factors such as bond polarities and molecular geometry can create a net electric dipole moment if the individual bond dipoles do not cancel completely.

Hydrogen Bonding

Hydrogen bonding is a specific type of dipole-dipole interaction where a hydrogen atom covalently bonded to a highly electronegative atom (such as oxygen, nitrogen, or fluorine) interacts with a lone pair on another electronegative atom. In certain molecules, internal or intramolecular hydrogen bonding can occur, which can alter the electron distribution by 'locking' parts of the molecule into a fixed conformation and enhancing the overall dipole moment.

Molecular Geometry

The three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in a molecule, or molecular geometry, plays a crucial role in determining its physical properties, including its polarity. Even if a molecule appears nonpolar in a simple two-dimensional drawing, the actual spatial orientation of its atoms and the effect of intramolecular interactions such as hydrogen bonds can result in a non-symmetrical distribution of charge, thus leading to a net dipole moment.

Transcript

Please give Ace some feedback