Applications of dipole moment are :
(i) To decide polarity of the molecule : Molecules having zero dipole moment are said to be non-polar molecules and those having µR ≠ 0 are polar in nature.
(ii) To determine percentage of ionic character :
Percentage of ionic character
= × 100
(iii) To determine geometry of molecules: The values of dipole moments provide valuable information about the structures of molecules.
(a) CO2,CS2 are linear as values of their dipole moments are zero.
(b) H2O is non-linear as it has a net dipole moment.