Term: polarity
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.P04710

Definition:
When applied to solvents, this rather ill-defined term covers their overall solvation capability (solvation power) for solutes (i.e. in chemical equilibria: reactants and products; in reaction rates: reactants and activated complex; in light absorptions: ions or molecules in the ground and excited state), which in turn depends on the action of all possible, nonspecific and specific, intermolecular interactions between solute ions or molecules and solvent molecules, excluding such interactions leading to definite chemical alterations of the ions or molecules of the solute. Occasionally, the term solvent polarity is restricted to nonspecific solute/solvent interactions only (i.e. to van der Waals forces).

Related Terms:
1) dimroth–reichardt <em>e</em><sub>t</sub> parameter (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.D01746).
2) grunwald–winstein equation (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.G02710).
3) ionizing power (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.I03215).
4) kamlet–taft solvent parameters (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.K03367).
5) van der waals forces (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.V06597).
6) <em>z</em>-value (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.Z06737).
7) solvation (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.S05747).
8) power (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.P04792).
9) excited state (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.E02257).
10) intermolecular (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.I03098).
11) activated complex (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.A00092).

Source: PAC, 1994, 66, 1077. 'Glossary of terms used in physical organic chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1994)' on page 1151 (https://doi.org/10.1351/pac199466051077)

Citation: 'polarity' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.P04710

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