1) The polarity of the individual bonds in the molecule; 2) The shape or geometry of the molecule. *Bond Polarity* First, to determine if a given individual bond is polar, you need to know the electronegativity of two atoms involved in that bond.
Similarly, you may ask, how do you determine the polarity of a molecule?
Step 2: Identify each bond as either polar or nonpolar. (If the difference in electronegativity for the atoms in a bond is greater than 0.4, we consider the bond polar. If the difference in electronegativity is less than 0.4, the bond is essentially nonpolar.) If there are no polar bonds, the molecule is nonpolar.