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polar

polar

2 6.4
Having a positive end and a negative end because charges are not even
  • adjective
  • /ˈpoʊlər/
  • Specialized
: polar
  • Properties of water: chemical and physical (molecular structure, polar molecules, solubility, pH, ionization, reaction to other chemicals).
  • polar molecules
  • polar head groups

Because it is polar and so it's not going to create a solution with oils like capsaicin.

Examples

  • A phospholipid has a polar electrically charged head which attracts water and a non polar tail which repels it.

  • Another molecule that also has polar bonds is water.

  • You might also hear people use the terms polar versus non polar.

  • Because it is polar and so it's not going to create a solution with oils like capsaicin.

  • Interactive exhibits and dramatic displays help explain the science behind changes in polar ice and oceans.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Water is a polar molecule because it has a positive charge on one side and a negative charge on the other.

  • In chemistry, a polar bond is formed when there is an unequal sharing of electrons between atoms.

  • The polar properties of certain molecules influence their ability to dissolve in water.

Synonyms

polaric
vspolar
  • Specialized
5 8.7

Having two opposite ends, like positive and negative, often in chemistry

describes the actual molecular condition of having equal opposite electric charges
polarized
vspolar
  • Specialized
3 6.5

Having one side positive and the other negative in electric charge

refers to equal and opposite charges forming a dipole, not general uneven charge
dipolar
vspolar
  • Specialized
1 7.9

Having two opposite electric charges or magnetic poles close together

is the same concept but used in more general chemical descriptions

Antonyms

nonpolar
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A substance like oil or gas that has no charged areas and does not mix with water

Compounds

70 1.1

A large white bear that lives in the Arctic and hunts seals on sea ice

8 3.2

An area around the North or South Pole that is very cold and icy

2 6.5

Relating to the area around the North Pole, the Arctic

1 7.3

Near the South Pole on Earth

polar coordinate
  • Specialized
1 7.5

One of the two numbers that show a point's distance from a fixed center and its angle

1 4.6

A bright star called Polaris that sits almost above Earth's north pole and shows true north

1 4.3

An extremely cold area around the North or South Pole with ice and snow

A large mass of ice that forms near the North or South Pole

1 5.5

A circle near Earth's poles where the sun stays above or below the horizon for one day

polar body
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A very small cell with little liquid that forms when an egg divides and that the body usually discards

polar front
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A line where very cold air from the poles meets warmer air and causes storms

A clear contrast between two very different ends that shows points between them

7.3

A large Arctic animal like a rabbit that turns white in winter

How Polar

ionic
  • Specialized
10 5.0
polar
  • Specialized
2 6.4
nonpolar
  • Specialized
1 6.7

Surface Forms

polar positive

Morphology

polar = pole (semi-transparent) = pole + ar

The scientific sense extends 'pole' to opposite electric charges; this metaphorical technical usage may not be obvious to a general B1 learner.

Etymology

Polar comes from an old word for pole 'end' or 'point', like the North and South poles. In chemistry a polar molecule has two 'poles' with opposite electric charges, so one end is slightly positive and the other slightly negative.