∞ generated and posted on 2022.01.25 ∞
Deviation from electrical neutrality.
The charges associated with ions and molecules can be either full or partial. A full charge corresponds to the gain or loss of one or more electrons, as associated with ionic bonds. A partial charge results from imbalances in electronegativity as associated with polar covalent bonds.
The possession of a charge by a compound is associated with hydrophilicity whereas compounds lacking full or partial charges are hydrophobic. Even so, transient partial charges will still be possible giving rise to what are known as van der Waals interactions. For the latter, see hydrophobic interaction.