text: Field effects can arise from the electric dipole field of a bond containing an electronegative atom or electron-withdrawing substituent, as well as from an atom or substituent bearing a formal charge. The directionality of a dipole, and concentration of charge, can both define the shape of a molecule's electric field which will manipulate the localization of electron density toward or away from sites of interest, such as an acidic hydrogen. Field effects are typically associated with the alignment of a dipole field with respect to a reaction center. Since these are through space effects, the 3D structure of a molecule is an important consideration. A field may be interrupted by other bonds or atoms before propagating to a reactive site of interest. Atoms of differing electronegativities can move closer together resulting in bond polarization through space that mimics the inductive effect through bonds. Bicycloheptane and bicyclooctane (seen left) are two compounds in which the change in acidity with substitution was attributed to the field effect. The C-X dipole is oriented away from the carboxylic acid group, and can draw electron density away because the molecule center is empty, with a low dielectric constant, so the electric field is able to propagate with minimal resistance.