Why can some molecules have polar bonds, but overall be nonpolar molecules?

Answer 1

Symmetry.

For instance, methane (CH4) is a non-polar molecule because the hydrogen atoms are positioned in a way that evenly distributes any partial positive charge around the partially negative center, despite the bonds between the carbon and hydrogens being polar.

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Answer 2

Easton Jones

Some molecules can have polar bonds but overall be nonpolar due to the arrangement of the polar bonds canceling out their individual dipole moments. This occurs when the molecule's geometry is symmetrical, resulting in equal and opposite dipole moments that effectively cancel each other out, making the molecule nonpolar overall.

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Answer from HIX Tutor

When evaluating a one-sided limit, you need to be careful when a quantity is approaching zero since its sign is different depending on which way it is approaching zero from. Let us look at some examples.