explain inductive effect with the help of an example

Inductive effect refers to the transmission of charge through a chain of atoms in a molecule resulting from the electronegativity difference between the atoms. This effect is significant in polar molecules and is a permanent effect.

Let's understand this with an example:

Consider a molecule of chloroethane (CH3-CH2-Cl). Here, the chlorine atom is more electronegative than the carbon atom it is attached to. This means that chlorine will pull the bonding electrons towards itself, creating a slight negative charge (δ-) on the chlorine atom and a slight positive charge (δ+) on the carbon atom.

This slight positive charge on the carbon atom will in turn pull the electrons in the C-H bonds towards itself, creating a slight positive charge on the hydrogen atoms. This transmission of charge due to the difference in electronegativity is known as the inductive effect.

In summary, the inductive effect is the shifting of electrons in a molecule due to the difference in electronegativity of atoms. This effect is seen in polar molecules and is a permanent effect.