Multiple Choice
Which of the following molecules is polar?
13. Liquids, Solids & Intermolecular Forces
Molecular Polarity
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Which of the following best describes the molecular polarity of SO2Cl2 (thionyl chloride)?
A
SO2Cl2 is a nonpolar molecule.
B
SO2Cl2 is a polar molecule.
C
SO2Cl2 is amphiprotic and can act as both an acid and a base.
D
SO2Cl2 is ionic and does not have molecular polarity.
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Determine the Lewis structure of SO2Cl2 by counting the total valence electrons from sulfur (S), oxygen (O), and chlorine (Cl) atoms, then arrange the atoms with sulfur as the central atom bonded to two oxygens and two chlorines.
Step 2: Identify the molecular geometry around the sulfur atom by considering the electron domains (bonding and lone pairs) using the VSEPR theory to predict the shape of the molecule.
Step 3: Analyze the bond dipoles by considering the electronegativity differences between sulfur and oxygen, and sulfur and chlorine, noting that S–O and S–Cl bonds have different polarities.
Step 4: Determine if the bond dipoles cancel out or add up by examining the molecular geometry; if the dipoles do not cancel, the molecule is polar.
Step 5: Conclude that since SO2Cl2 has a bent or distorted tetrahedral shape with different atoms attached, the bond dipoles do not cancel, making SO2Cl2 a polar molecule.
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