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Polarizability refers to the ability of a molecule's electron cloud to distort in response to an external electric field. This distortion leads to the creation of an induced dipole moment within the molecule. The extent of this distortion is quantified by the polarizability, a property that depends on the molecule's structure and the nature of its electrons. Atoms and molecules with more loosely bound electrons, or those with larger electron clouds, tend to be more polarizable. For example, larger atoms and molecules are generally more polarizable than smaller ones because their outer electrons are further from the nucleus and experience a weaker attraction.

The concept of polarizability is crucial in understanding various physical phenomena, including intermolecular forces, dielectric properties of materials, and the behavior of light interacting with matter. Induced dipole moments arising from polarizability are responsible for London dispersion forces, a type of van der Waals interaction that exists between all molecules. In dielectrics, the polarizability of the constituent molecules or atoms allows them to align with an external electric field, thus reducing the net field within the material. This property is directly related to the dielectric constant of the material. Furthermore, the polarizability of a molecule influences how it absorbs and scatters light, playing a role in spectroscopy and optical phenomena.