Percent Ionic Character Calculator
Calculate the ionic character percentage of chemical bonds using electronegativity difference or dipole moments
Calculate Percent Ionic Character
Electronegativity: 2.2
Electronegativity: 3.98
Ionic Character Results
Bond Character Analysis
Example Calculation
Hydrogen Fluoride (HF) Bond
Elements: Hydrogen (H) and Fluorine (F)
Electronegativity values: H = 2.20, F = 3.98
Electronegativity difference (Δχ): |3.98 - 2.20| = 1.78
Calculation Steps
I = 100 × (1 - e^(-0.25 × Δχ²))
I = 100 × (1 - e^(-0.25 × 1.78²))
I = 100 × (1 - e^(-0.79))
I = 100 × (1 - 0.453)
I = 54.7% ionic character
Bond type: Polar covalent
Bond Types Guide
Covalent
0-10% ionic character
Equal sharing of electrons
Polar Covalent
10-50% ionic character
Unequal sharing creates dipole
Ionic
50-100% ionic character
Complete electron transfer
Electronegativity Scale
Understanding Percent Ionic Character
What is Ionic Character?
The percent ionic character of a chemical bond measures how much the shared electrons are pulled toward one atom versus being equally shared. It quantifies the polarity of a bond on a scale from 0% (pure covalent) to 100% (pure ionic).
Why is it Important?
- •Predicts molecular polarity and properties
- •Determines solubility in polar vs nonpolar solvents
- •Explains melting points and boiling points
- •Helps understand chemical reactivity
Pauling's Formula
I = 100 × (1 - e^(-0.25 × Δχ²))
- I: Percent ionic character
- Δχ: Electronegativity difference |χ₁ - χ₂|
- e: Euler's number (≈ 2.718)
Dipole Moment Method
I = 100 × (μ_observed / μ_calculated)
Alternative method using experimental dipole moments where μ_calculated assumes a purely ionic bond.