What is the difference between molecular dipoles, and an ionic interaction?

1 Answer
anor277
Jan 28, 2018

Well, a dipole refers to charge separation....

Explanation:

...whereas in an ionic compound, the charges are SO FAR separated that we get individual ions....

#stackrel(delta^+)H-stackrel(delta""^(-))Cl#...is a molecule...and across the covalent bond, the chlorine atom polarizes electron density towards itself...and the result is a molecular dipole...

On the other hand in #Na^+Cl^(-)# there are discrete #Na^+# and #Cl^-# ions....and no suggesting of a covalency, i.e, sharing of electron density...

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