Which property distinguishes a "Polar Bond" from a "Nonpolar Bond"?

A polar bond is characterized by an unequal sharing of electrons between two atoms, which typically occurs when the atoms involved have different electronegativities. Electronegativity is a measure of an atom's ability to attract and hold onto electrons. When two atoms with different electronegativities form a bond, the more electronegative atom attracts the shared electrons more strongly, leading to a partial negative charge on that atom and a partial positive charge on the other. This charge separation creates a dipole moment, which is a signature of polar bonds.

In contrast, in a nonpolar bond, the electrons are shared equally between the two atoms, usually because they are of the same or very similar electronegativity. This means there is no significant difference in charge distribution across the bond, and thus, no dipole moment is created.

Therefore, the distinguishing property between polar and nonpolar bonds lies fundamentally in how the electrons are shared between the atoms—whether equally or unequally. The concept of ionic charge and covalent structure, while related to chemical bonding, does not specifically address the distinction between polar and nonpolar bonds in the context of electron sharing.