Polarizability

Polarizability measures how readily an atom, molecule, or particle develops an electric dipole in response to an electric field. It links the applied field to the induced dipole moment.

Electric dipole moment: A measure of the separation of positive and negative charge in a system. Polarizability describes how an applied field changes this moment.
Permanent dipole moment: An intrinsic separation of charge in a molecule that exists without an applied electric field. It distinguishes pre-existing molecular polarity from field-induced polarization.
London dispersion force: An intermolecular attraction caused by correlated instantaneous and induced dipoles. Fluctuating dipoles induce neighboring dipoles, making polarizability central to the force.
Permanent polarity: A molecule's intrinsic uneven charge distribution, usually characterized by a permanent dipole moment. A polar molecule can have permanent polarity independently of its polarizability.
Induced dipole: A temporary separation of charge produced when an external electric field distorts a charge distribution. It is the response whose magnitude polarizability quantifies.
Covalent bond: A chemical bond formed when atoms share pairs of electrons. Shared electrons determine how a molecule's charge distribution can deform.
Refractive index: A measure of how light propagates more slowly in a material than in vacuum. Molecular polarization contributes to a material's optical response.
Dielectric constant: A dimensionless measure of how a material's electric response compares with vacuum. Unlike single-particle polarizability, it describes a macroscopic material property.
Electric field: A vector field that describes the electric force per unit charge at each point. It supplies the external influence that induces a dipole.
Atomic radius: A measure of the characteristic size of an atom. Larger electron clouds are generally easier to distort.

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