What is a polar covalent bond?

A polar covalent bond is characterized by the unequal sharing of electrons between two atoms that have different electronegativities. In this type of bond, one atom attracts the shared electrons more strongly than the other, leading to a partial negative charge on the more electronegative atom and a partial positive charge on the less electronegative atom. This charge separation creates a dipole moment, making the bond polar.

For example, in a molecule like water (H₂O), the oxygen atom is more electronegative than the hydrogen atoms, resulting in oxygen attracting the shared electron pairs more closely. This unequal distribution of electron density causes the oxygen to have a partial negative charge and the hydrogen atoms to have partial positive charges, exemplifying a polar covalent bond.

The other options are not accurate representations of a polar covalent bond: equal sharing of electrons describes a nonpolar covalent bond, while full charges on atoms indicate an ionic bond, not covalent. A bond formed between ionic compounds does not pertain to covalent bonding concepts.