Given below are two statements: One is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled as Reason (R).
Assertion (A): Non-polar materials do not have any permanent dipole moment.
Reason (R): When a non-polar material is placed in an electric field, the centre of the positive charge distribution of its individual atom or molecule coincides with the centre of the negative charge distribution.
In the light of above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below.
Answer: (C) (A) is correct but (R) is not correct.
(A) is correct: in non-polar molecules the centres of positive and negative charge coincide in the absence of a field, so there is no permanent dipole moment.
(R) is wrong: in an external field the centres are pulled apart, inducing a dipole moment.
Solution by Sreeraj P, M.Sc Physics