What type of bond involves unequal sharing of electrons due to differing electronegativities between two nonmetal atoms?

A polar covalent bond is formed when two nonmetals with different electronegativities share electrons unequally. Electronegativity is a measure of an atom's ability to attract electrons in a bond, and when there is a significant difference between the electronegativities of the two atoms involved, the shared electrons are pulled closer to the atom with the higher electronegativity. This results in a partial negative charge (δ-) on that atom and a partial positive charge (δ+) on the other atom, creating a dipole within the molecule.

In polar covalent bonding, although the electrons are shared between the two atoms, the unequal sharing leads to distinct regions of charge within the molecule, which is an essential characteristic of polar molecules. This behavior contrasts with nonpolar covalent bonds, where electrons are shared equally because the atoms have similar electronegativities.

The concept of ionic bonding involves the complete transfer of electrons from one atom to another, leading to the formation of charged ions. This type of bond occurs typically between metals and nonmetals with a large difference in electronegativity and does not involve sharing. The term covalent bond alone refers to any sharing of electrons between nonmetals, without specifying whether that