Table of contents

1. Intro to General Chemistry3h 48m
2. Atoms & Elements4h 16m
3. Chemical Reactions4h 10m
4. BONUS: Lab Techniques and Procedures1h 38m
5. BONUS: Mathematical Operations and Functions48m
6. Chemical Quantities & Aqueous Reactions3h 53m
7. Gases3h 49m
8. Thermochemistry2h 37m
9. Quantum Mechanics2h 58m
10. Periodic Properties of the Elements3h 9m
11. Bonding & Molecular Structure3h 29m
12. Molecular Shapes & Valence Bond Theory1h 57m
13. Liquids, Solids & Intermolecular Forces2h 23m
14. Solutions3h 1m
15. Chemical Kinetics2h 53m
16. Chemical Equilibrium2h 29m
17. Acid and Base Equilibrium5h 1m
18. Aqueous Equilibrium4h 47m
19. Chemical Thermodynamics1h 50m
20. Electrochemistry2h 42m
21. Nuclear Chemistry2h 36m
22. Organic Chemistry5h 7m
23. Chemistry of the Nonmetals2h 39m
24. Transition Metals and Coordination Compounds3h 16m

13. Liquids, Solids & Intermolecular Forces

Molecular Polarity

General Chemistry

13. Liquids, Solids & Intermolecular Forces

Molecular Polarity

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Multiple Choice

Is the molecule selenium tetrafluoride (SeF_4) polar or nonpolar?

Polar

Nonpolar

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Verified step by step guidance

Step 1: Determine the Lewis structure of selenium tetrafluoride (SeF\_4). Selenium (Se) is the central atom bonded to four fluorine (F) atoms. Selenium has 6 valence electrons, and each fluorine has 7 valence electrons.

Step 2: Count the total valence electrons: Se contributes 6 electrons, and 4 fluorines contribute 4 \times 7 = 28 electrons, for a total of 34 valence electrons. Use these electrons to form bonds and complete octets around the atoms.

Step 3: Arrange the electrons to satisfy the octet rule. Four Se-F single bonds use 8 electrons. Place the remaining electrons as lone pairs on selenium and fluorine atoms. Selenium will have one lone pair after bonding with four fluorines.

Step 4: Determine the molecular geometry using VSEPR theory. With four bonding pairs and one lone pair, the shape around selenium is a seesaw (derived from trigonal bipyramidal electron geometry).

Step 5: Analyze the molecular polarity. Because of the seesaw shape and the presence of a lone pair, the dipole moments of the Se-F bonds do not cancel out, making SeF\_4 a polar molecule.