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A lowercase delta with a raised plus or minus.
Also known as: Partial charge, Delta plus, Delta minus, Small delta with a sign
δ+ and δ− mark a partial charge — a fraction of an electron's worth, arising from unequal sharing in a polar bond. Unlike formal charge it does describe where the electron density actually is, which is why it, not formal charge, explains why water dissolves salt.
Denotes a partial charge arising from unequal sharing of a bonding pair between atoms of different electronegativity.
Contexts: Laboratory
Represents a real distribution of electron density, unlike formal charge, which is an accounting convention.
Contexts: Laboratory
Is what makes a bond a dipole and a molecule polar, and hence what governs solubility and boiling point.
Contexts: Laboratory
A Greek lowercase delta — a small loop with an upward tail — carrying a small raised plus or minus sign to its right.