> O.K., I'll bite. What the heck does "polar" or "non-polar" refer to?
>
> Jeremy Constant
Hi Jeremy,
The atoms that make up molecules hang together by sharing their electrons,
in a fashion that allows them to fit together harmoniously, sort of like
jigsaw puzzle pieces. When one of the atoms has a strong affinity for
electrons (such as oxygen), the electron cloud is displaced toward that
atom, giving its end of the molecule a negative charge, and leaving the
other end charged positively. This is what makes water a very polar
solvent, and thus not miscible with the typical non-polar hydrocarbons,
whose charges are distributed in a more balanced arrangement.
(Actually, Rob, I'm not a chemist, but rather an electrical
engineer/physicist. Still, I feel at least as competent addressing selected
questions in chemistry as I do in airplane building, even after finishing a
Europa! Corrections and clarifications are invited, if I overreach my
limits in any area.)
Dave DeFord
N135TD
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