Texas A&M University (TAMU) CHEM 222 Elements of Organic and Biological Chemistry Exam 1 Practice

Electronegativity difference dictates bond polarity: when two atoms have very similar electronegativities, electrons are shared almost equally and the bond is nonpolar covalent. This occurs for small differences, typically from about 0 to 0.4 on the common scale, so there’s no significant charge separation and no dipole moment.

As the difference grows beyond that, electrons are pulled more toward one atom, creating a polar covalent bond with partial charges. Very large differences lead to ionic bonds where electrons are effectively transferred.

So the range 0 to 0.4 represents bonds with essentially equal sharing, making them nonpolar covalent. Examples include H–H, O–O, N–N, and many C–C, and C–H bonds sit near the upper end of this range.