= Inductive effect
The <inductive effect> is the redistribution of electron density through a molecular framework associated with the electron-withdrawing or electron-releasing influence of substituents. It is usually discussed as polarization transmitted through <sigma bonds>, distinguished from <resonance> through conjugated orbitals.
For example, an electron-withdrawing substituent near a <carboxylic acid> can stabilize its conjugate base and increase acidity. The effect usually weakens with increasing bond distance. Separating an inductive effect from electrostatic field effects is a modeling convention, so a qualitative substituent label is not a universal numerical prediction for every solvent and molecular geometry.
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