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Multiple Choice
Is a molecule of hydrogen chloride (HCl) polar or nonpolar?
A
Nonpolar
B
Neither polar nor nonpolar
C
Polar
D
Ionic
Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Understand the concept of molecular polarity. A molecule is polar if it has a net dipole moment, which occurs when there is an uneven distribution of electron density due to differences in electronegativity between atoms and the molecular geometry does not cancel out these dipoles.
Step 2: Identify the atoms in hydrogen chloride (HCl). It consists of hydrogen (H) and chlorine (Cl) atoms bonded together by a single covalent bond.
Step 3: Compare the electronegativities of hydrogen and chlorine. Chlorine is significantly more electronegative than hydrogen, meaning it attracts the shared electrons in the bond more strongly.
Step 4: Determine the bond polarity. Because of the difference in electronegativity, the H–Cl bond is polar, with a partial negative charge (δ-) on chlorine and a partial positive charge (δ+) on hydrogen.
Step 5: Assess the molecular polarity. Since HCl is a diatomic molecule with only one bond, the bond polarity directly results in the molecule being polar overall.