Partial Charge in LaTeX (\delta^{+})

Where it is used

Partial positive charge on an atom in a polar bond, written as a lowercase delta with a plus.

In water the hydrogens carry \delta^{+} and the oxygen \delta^{-}, the charge separation that drives hydrogen bonding. Delta here means 'a fraction of', not a change, so do not confuse it with \Delta. To place the label above an atom, use \overset{\delta^{+}}{\text{H}}, which keeps the formula readable. Some texts write \delta+ inline without superscripting; the superscript form is more common in typeset work. Pair it with \delta^{-} on the electronegative partner, and \delta\delta^{+} denotes an even smaller partial charge.

Minimal compilable example

Paste this into an empty .tex file and compile it with pdfLaTeX, XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\begin{document}
Partial Charge: $\delta^{+}$

\[ \overset{\delta^{+}}{\text{H}}{-}\overset{\delta^{-}}{\text{Cl}} \]
\end{document}

Related symbols

• Electrone^{-}
• Triple Bond\text{C}\equiv\text{C}
• Aqueous\text{(aq)}
• Double Bond\text{C}=\text{C}
• Solid\text{(s)}
• Bond\text{C}-\text{C}

Frequently asked questions

How do I write Partial Charge in LaTeX?

Type \delta^{+} in math mode, for example $\overset{\delta^{+}}{\text{H}}{-}\overset{\delta^{-}}{\text{Cl}}$. It works in plain LaTeX without loading any package.

Which package do I need for \delta^{+}?

None. \delta^{+} is part of standard LaTeX, so it compiles with nothing in the preamble but the document class.

Can I use \delta^{+} in text mode, or only in math mode?

Only in math mode. Outside $...$ LaTeX stops with "Missing $ inserted", so write $\delta^{+}$ in running text.