Why do atoms and non-polar molecules have no dipole moment?
Because their electronic charge cloud is symmetrically distributed
The correct answer is Because their electronic charge cloud is symmetrically distributed.
This happens when an external electric field (like from a neighboring charge or polar molecule) distorts the electronic charge cloud, creating a temporary separation of charge. This phenomenon is responsible for weak intermolecular forces like London dispersion forces. The shape of a molecule is crucial in determining if bond dipoles cancel out, making the molecule non-polar despite having polar bonds. For instance, $\text{CCl}_4$ has four polar $\text{C}-\text{Cl}$ bonds, but its tetrahedral geometry ensures the bond dipoles cancel vectorially, resulting in a non-polar molecule with no net dipole moment.
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