Multiple Choice
Which of the following best describes the polarity of the molecule C_2H_2Br_2?
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13. Liquids, Solids & Intermolecular Forces
Molecular Polarity
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Which statement best describes the molecular structure of water (H_2O) and explains why it is a polar molecule?
A
Water has a tetrahedral geometry, with all bond angles equal and no net dipole moment.
B
Water has a trigonal planar geometry, with the oxygen atom at the center and no lone pairs affecting polarity.
C
Water has a linear molecular geometry, causing the dipoles to cancel and making it nonpolar.
D
Water has a bent molecular geometry due to two lone pairs on oxygen, resulting in an uneven distribution of electron density and a net dipole moment.
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the central atom in the water molecule, which is oxygen (O), and note that it is bonded to two hydrogen (H) atoms.
Determine the number of electron pairs around the oxygen atom, including both bonding pairs (shared with hydrogen) and lone pairs (non-bonding). Oxygen has two bonding pairs and two lone pairs.
Use the VSEPR (Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion) theory to predict the molecular geometry. The presence of two lone pairs on oxygen causes repulsion that alters the shape from tetrahedral to bent (angular).
Understand that the bent shape leads to an uneven distribution of electron density because the dipole moments of the O-H bonds do not cancel out.
Conclude that this uneven electron distribution creates a net dipole moment, making water a polar molecule with a bent molecular geometry.
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