* Polar bonds: Oxygen is more electronegative than carbon, meaning it attracts electrons more strongly. This creates a partial negative charge (δ-) on the oxygen atoms and a partial positive charge (δ+) on the carbon atom within each C=O bond.
* Non-polar molecule: The CO2 molecule is linear, with the two oxygen atoms on opposite sides of the carbon atom. This symmetrical arrangement causes the polar bonds to cancel each other out, resulting in a non-polar molecule overall.
Think of it like a tug-of-war: The oxygen atoms pull on the electrons in the bond, but since they're pulling in opposite directions, they balance each other out.
