What do you mean by polar molecules? What happens to them when elec...

Question

What do you mean by polar molecules? What happens to them when electric field is applied?

Accepted Answer

📌 Polar Molecules: Definition: Polar molecules are electrically asymmetrical molecules that possess a permanent electric dipole moment. They have distinct positive and negative charge centres due to unequal sharing of electrons. Examples: H₂O (water), HCl (hydrogen chloride), NH₃ (ammonia) ──────────────────────────────────────── 📌 Effect of External Electric Field: When an external electric field E is applied to polar molecules: Step 1: Each dipole experiences a torque: τ = p × E = pE sinθ Step 2: Torque causes the molecules to rotate and align with the field direction. Step 3: This alignment creates a net dipole moment in the direction of E. Step 4: This phenomenon is called Dielectric Polarization. ∴ Polar molecules align along the electric field when E is applied.

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