How does electronegativity affect bonds between atoms?

Electronegativity is a measure of an atom's ability to attract and hold onto electrons within a chemical bond. When two different atoms form a bond, their differing electronegativities can cause the electrons to be shared unevenly. This uneven sharing results in one atom having a partial negative charge, while the other atom has a partial positive charge, effectively creating a dipole.

In a polar covalent bond, for instance, the atom with higher electronegativity attracts the bonding electrons more strongly than the other atom. This results in the electron density being skewed toward the more electronegative atom, which is why slight charges, or dipoles, form.

The concept of dipoles is crucial as it explains why certain substances have polar characteristics, affecting their physical properties such as solubility and boiling points. Understanding this aspect of electronegativity is essential for predicting how molecules will behave in various chemical reactions and in different environments.