Multiple Choice
Which of the following molecules is polar?
13. Liquids, Solids & Intermolecular Forces
Molecular Polarity
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Which of the following molecules has polar bonds but is a nonpolar molecule?
A
H2O
B
NH3
C
SO2
D
CO2
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Understand the difference between polar bonds and molecular polarity. A polar bond occurs when two atoms have different electronegativities, causing a dipole moment. Molecular polarity depends on both the polarity of bonds and the geometry of the molecule, which determines if dipole moments cancel out or add up.
Step 2: Identify which molecules have polar bonds by looking at the atoms involved and their electronegativities. For example, in CO2, the bonds between carbon and oxygen are polar because oxygen is more electronegative than carbon.
Step 3: Analyze the molecular geometry of each molecule. CO2 has a linear shape, NH3 is trigonal pyramidal, H2O is bent, and SO2 is bent or angular. The shape affects how the bond dipoles combine.
Step 4: Determine if the dipole moments cancel out. In CO2, the two polar C=O bonds are arranged linearly and opposite each other, so their dipoles cancel, making the molecule nonpolar overall despite having polar bonds.
Step 5: Conclude that CO2 is the molecule with polar bonds but is nonpolar overall due to its linear geometry causing dipole cancellation, unlike H2O, NH3, and SO2, which have polar bonds and are polar molecules because of their bent or pyramidal shapes.
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