Physics, asked by ashokhari91, 1 year ago

What is meant by a non-polar molecule ?

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Answered by fuggy96
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If you've let it sit out on the table, you'll probably notice that it separates into two layers, oil and water. The oil is nonpolar, meaning it doesn't mix with water. We also refer to nonpolar molecules as hydrophobic, or water fearing. The opposite type of molecule is a polar molecule, which is hydrophilic, or water loving.

The basis of polar and nonpolar molecules comes from charges on the atoms in the molecules. Atoms are made of small particles. The center of the atom, or nucleus, is made up of neutrons, which have no charge, and protons, which have a positive charge.

When atoms bond together to form molecules, they share or give electrons. If the electrons are shared equally by the atoms, then there is no resulting charge, and the molecule is nonpolar. Polar molecules are the opposite and have a positive or negative charge.

Examples of Nonpolar Molecules

An example of a nonpolar molecule is methane gas. Methane is produced by bacteria in our gut that break down food and is released as a gas. That gas is actually what comes out during flatulence, commonly known as farting. Methane is composed of one carbon atom bound to four hydrogen atoms. These atoms all share electrons equally, so there is no charge on this stinky molecule, making it nonpolar.

Inside our body, we have polar and nonpolar molecules. Both are extremely important for us to stay alive, and today we'll look at three examples of processes that use nonpolar molecules: respiration, energy storage, and hormone communication.

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