Multiple Choice
Which statement best describes the charge distribution and polarity of a CH_4 molecule?
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13. Liquids, Solids & Intermolecular Forces
Molecular Polarity
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Which of the following best describes the polarity of carbon tetrachloride (CCl_4)?
A
CCl_4 is a polar molecule because it contains polar C–Cl bonds.
B
CCl_4 is a polar molecule due to the presence of lone pairs on the central carbon atom.
C
CCl_4 is a nonpolar molecule because its molecular geometry is tetrahedral and the bond dipoles cancel out.
D
CCl_4 is a nonpolar molecule because chlorine is less electronegative than carbon.
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the molecular geometry of carbon tetrachloride (CCl_4). Since carbon is bonded to four chlorine atoms with no lone pairs on the central atom, the shape is tetrahedral.
Recognize that each C–Cl bond is polar because chlorine is more electronegative than carbon, creating bond dipoles pointing from carbon to chlorine.
Understand that in a tetrahedral geometry, the four polar bonds are symmetrically arranged around the central carbon atom.
Analyze how the bond dipoles interact: due to the symmetrical tetrahedral shape, the individual bond dipoles cancel each other out, resulting in no net dipole moment.
Conclude that despite having polar bonds, the overall molecule is nonpolar because the molecular geometry causes the bond dipoles to cancel.
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