Multiple Choice
How is the miscibility of a liquid with water related to the liquid's polarity?
13. Liquids, Solids & Intermolecular Forces
Molecular Polarity
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Which of the following molecular geometries would result in a polar molecule if all the peripheral atoms are the same?
A
Tetrahedral
B
Bent
C
Trigonal planar
D
Octahedral
Verified step by step guidance1
Recall that molecular polarity depends on both the polarity of individual bonds and the overall molecular geometry, which determines if bond dipoles cancel out or add up to a net dipole moment.
For each geometry, consider the symmetry and whether the dipole moments of identical peripheral atoms cancel out:
Tetrahedral geometry has four identical peripheral atoms symmetrically arranged around the central atom, so the bond dipoles cancel, resulting in a nonpolar molecule if all peripheral atoms are the same.
Trigonal planar geometry has three identical peripheral atoms arranged symmetrically in a plane, so the bond dipoles also cancel, resulting in a nonpolar molecule if all peripheral atoms are the same.
Bent geometry, however, has an angular shape due to lone pairs on the central atom, causing the bond dipoles not to cancel out, which results in a polar molecule even if all peripheral atoms are the same.
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