Polarity of Molecule

Objectives
◎ Identify the types of chemical bonding
◎ Determine the shape of simple molecules.
◎ Determine the polarity of molecules using the concept
of valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) and
electronegativity difference.
Chemical Bonding
◎ Chemical Bond- is an
electrical attraction
between the nuclei
and valence electrons
of an atom and which
atoms binds atom
together.
 Types of Chemical bond
◎ Ionic Bonding- results from the transfer of one or more valence
electrons from one atom to another.
◎ Formula unit- a pair cation and anion form during ionic
bonding. It is the lowest whole number ratio of ions represented
in an ionic compound. Ex. NaCl

Na Cl
Sodium Chlorine
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Ionic Compound
◎ Dissolve easily in water and polar
solvents. Ex. Salt and water solution
◎ Easily conduct electricity

◎ Usually solid and tend to crystallize

◎ Has high melting point.

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Covalent bond
◎ Covalent bond- when atoms share electrons forming a
bond between atoms.
○ It occurs because 2 non-metal elements have similar
tendency to gain electrons.
◎ Molecular compounds- the compounds that consist of
atoms bonded together by sharing electrons.
○ Ex. A bond between Cl2 molecule is a covalent.
◎ Unlike ionic substances, which can only be a compounds, a
molecular substance can be an monoatomic molecule or a
compound. 6
 Polarity of Molecule
H2O
• A covalent bond may
further be classified as
polar and non-polar.
Because sharing of O
electrons may occur
equally and unequally. H H
A polar molecule is a molecule in which one end of the
molecule is slightly
Electronegativity positive, property
is a chemical while thethat
other end is the
describes
slightly negative
tendency of an atom to attract electrons toward itself.
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Polarity of Molecule
O=O N N Cl-Cl F-F Br-Br I-I

Non polar covalent Polar covalent bond-

bond- electrons are electrons are shared unequally
resulting one atom being
equally shared partially negative and the
between two atoms. other is partially positive.

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Non-polar molecule
• Hydrogen need 1 electron to
become stable. Both
hydrogen in H2 molecule
benefit equally in each other.
• Both hydrogen also has the
same tendency to attract
electrons.
• Electron density is the same
around the nuclei of both
atom.

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Polar Molecule
• Although octet rule is followed in
+ H Cl

- this compound however, chlorine
has higher electronegativity
hence attracting more the
electron of hydrogen. There is
unequal sharing of electrons.

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Dipole Moments
◎ Dipole Moments (μ)- a quantitative
measure of the polarity of a bond.
• When there is unequal sharing of electrons a
dipole exists
• Dipole is a molecule that has two poles or
regions with opposite charges
• A dipole is represented by a dipole arrow pointing
towards the more negative end.
• Direction of the polar bond in a molecule.
• Arrow points toward the more electronegative
atom.

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How to identify the polarity of
molecule?
How to identify the polarity of molecule?

Electronegativity
Difference

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Electronegativity Difference
• Electronegativity difference- provides an estimation to determine the
type of chemical bond that most likely to exist between compound.

Electronegativity difference between

Type of Bond
elements in a compound

Ionic bonding Greater than or equal to 1.7

Polar covalent bond Less than 1.7 and greater than 0.4

Non polar covalent bond Equal or less than 0.4

 Electronegativity of Electronegativity of
2.5 4.0

Fluorine has a stronger attraction for the electrons. They are still
shared, but spend more time around the fluorine giving partial
opposite charges to opposite ends of the bond. (Dipole)
 More
Electronegativity Type of Covalent
Compound electronegative
Difference bond
compound
NaCl Chlorine 2.1 Ionic
ICl Chlorine 0.5 Polar
H2 None 0 Nonpolar
H2O Oxygen 1.4 Polar
BeCl2 Chlorine 1.5 Polar/non-
polar
How to identify the polarity of molecule?

Valence Shell Electron

Pair Repulsion (VSEPR)

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 Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR)

 A set of rules to look the Lewis Electron Dot Structure

of a molecule and figure out the shape of a molecule
in 3 dimensional.
 Groups of electrons in the valence shell of a central
atom repel one another.
o Lewis structure help determine the 3-D arrangement
of atoms in a molecule. Such arrangement is referred
to as molecular geometry.
o The bonded and unbonded atoms as well as the lone
pairs determine the polarity of molecule.
o If the polarity of the molecule is nonpolar it is
likely to be nonpolar molecule.
o Also, if the shape of the molecule is symmetrical
meaning both poles cancel each other out makes
the whole molecule non-polar.
Non-polar molecule
 No dipole moment
 Cancel out the electronegativity of each atom.
Be
H H

The electronegativity values of Hydrogen and Beryllium is 2.1

and 1.5 respectively which result into polar molecule. However,
since the molecular geometry of BeH2 is linear and two poles
are on opposite sides, the polarities “cancel out” which makes
BeH2 nonpolar.
Polar molecule
 Does not cancel each other out the electronegativity.
Cl

C
H H
H
The molecule CH3Cl has a molecular geometry of tetrahedral. However
there is slightly difference in the electronegativity between Carbon and
Chlorine then there is no cancel out of polarity making CH3Cl polar
molecule.
Linear shape-Non polar molecule
• 2 outside atoms (the same elements) in
between a central atom forming a linear shape.
• The angle is 180° between these 2 bonds.
• It has no lone pairs, nonbonding valence
electrons

CO2 BeF2 HCN is polar molecule

Trigonal Planar-Non Polar molecule
 3 outer atoms of the same element surrounding the
central atom.
 There are no lone pairs, unbonded electrons
 Bond angle is exactly 120°

BF3 Fluorine atom is surrounding Beryllium atom with The molecular shape of CH2O is trigonal planar but
symmetrical charge distribution. Fluorine atom has asymmetric charge distribution. Therefore the
completely cancel dipole moment. Therefore BF3 is molecule is Polar.
nonpolar.
Tetrahedral-non polar molecule
 4 outer atoms of the same elements surrounding a
central atoms.
 No lone pairs
 Bond angle is exactly 109.5° between each pair and
the central atom.

CH4 is nonpolar CH3 is polar

molecule molecule
Trigonal pyramidal-polar molecule
 3 outer atoms surrounding a central atoms.
 1 lone pair of electrons
 Bond angle is exactly 109.5° between each
pair and the central atom.

NH3 is polar H3O is polar

molecule molecule
Bent- Polar molecule
 2 outer atoms surrounding a central atom
and 1 lone pair.
 Bond angle is 109.5°

H2O is polar SO2 is polar

molecule molecule
Trigonal Bipyramidal- Non Polar molecule
 One atom at the center and 5 more atoms at
the corners of a triangular bipyramid.
 Bond angle is 90°
 No lone pairs

PCl5 is nonpolar
PF5 is nonpolar
molecule molecule
Disphenoidal or Seesaw- Polar molecule

 There are 4 bonds to a central atom with 1

lone pairs in it.
 Bond angle is 90°

SF4 is polar SeF4 is polar

molecule molecule
Square planar-Polar molecule
 There are 4 bonds to a central atom with 2
lone pairs in it.
 Bond angle is 90°

XeF4 is polar molecule

◎ Why determining the geometric shape of molecules is
important?
○ To determine if it is polar or non-polar molecules

◎ Why is it important to determine the polarity of

molecules?
○ Polarity will affect a lot of properties of this
molecule/compound.
○ Ex. Boiling point, Miscibility, melting point etc.

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Molecular Polarity
 Linear molecules
 Nonpolar if the ends are the same
 Polar if the ends are different
 Tetrahedral
 Nonpolar if all 4 corners are the same
 Polar if even 1 corner is different
 Trigonal Pyramids
 Always polar
 Bent molecules
 Always polar
The molecule is non-polar if :

 Each bond in the molecule is non-polar and

there are no unbonded electron pairs.
 Each bond in the molecule has the same
polarity and there are no unbonded
electron pairs on the central atom.
 There is no net dipole moment (all dipole
cancel out)
The molecule is polar if:

 There is a net dipole moment

 Each bond in the molecule is non-polar, but there are
unbonded electron pairs on the central atom.
 Bonds in the molecule have different polarities and/or
there are unbonded electron pairs on the central
atom.