dipole moment

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dipole moment

A molecule with a dipole moment aligns in an electric field.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • A measure of the separation of positive and negative electrical charges in a system: A dipole moment quantifies the polarity of a molecule or a pair of charges. It is a vector quantity, possessing both magnitude and direction, pointing from the negative charge towards the positive charge.
    • The product of the charge magnitude and the distance separating the charges: For a simple system of two equal and opposite charges, the dipole moment (μ) is calculated as the charge (q) multiplied by the displacement vector (d) separating them (μ = q * d).
Usage Examples
  • Noun:
    • Water has a large dipole moment because of its bent molecular shape and the difference in electronegativity between oxygen and hydrogen.
    • The dipole moment of the molecule determines how it interacts with an external electric field.
    • Scientists measured the dipole moment to confirm the polarity of the new compound.
Advanced Usage
  • "To have a dipole moment": Describes a molecule or system that is polar.
    • Carbon dioxide is linear and symmetrical, so it does not have a dipole moment.
  • "Net dipole moment": The overall dipole moment of a molecule resulting from the vector sum of individual bond dipole moments.
    • Although each C-Cl bond is polar, carbon tetrachloride has no net dipole moment due to its tetrahedral symmetry.
Variants and Related Words
  • Dipole (n): A pair of equal and opposite electric charges or magnetic poles separated by a small distance.
    • A permanent magnet is a magnetic dipole.
  • Bond dipole moment (n): The dipole moment of a single chemical bond, due to a difference in electronegativity between the bonded atoms.
    • The bond dipole moment in a hydrogen-chlorine bond is significant.
  • Electric dipole moment (n): A specific type of dipole moment related to electric charge distribution.
Synonyms
  • Polar moment (in specific contexts, though less common).
  • Electric moment (in a general sense).
Related Phrases
  • Dipole moment vector: Emphasizes the directional nature of the quantity.
    • The dipole moment vector points towards the more electronegative atom.
  • To calculate/measure the dipole moment: Common collocations describing actions performed on this property.
    • We can calculate the dipole moment from the molecular geometry and bond polarities.
dipole moment

A molecule with a dipole moment aligns in an electric field.

Noun
  1. the moment of a dipole