Which statement describes polar covalent bonds?

Polar covalent bonds occur between two atoms when there is a significant difference in their electronegativities, which is the tendency of an atom to attract electrons towards itself. In a polar covalent bond, the atom with the higher electronegativity will attract the shared electrons more strongly, resulting in an unequal sharing of electrons. This unequal sharing leads to a partial positive charge on one atom and a partial negative charge on the other, creating a dipole within the molecule.

This characteristic distinguishes polar covalent bonds from nonpolar covalent bonds, where electrons are shared equally due to similar electronegativities, and ionic bonds, where there is a complete transfer of electrons from one atom to another. Polar covalent bonds are critical in understanding molecular behavior, interactions, and the properties of substances, particularly in biological systems where water, a polar molecule, plays a central role in supporting life.