QQuestionChemistry
QuestionChemistry
What type of molecule is BCl^3? Is it polar or nonpolar?
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Answer
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Step 1:Let's solve this step by step:
Step 2:: Understand the Molecular Structure
- BCl^3 is boron trichloride - Boron (B) is the central atom - Three chlorine (Cl) atoms are bonded to the central boron atom
Step 3:: Determine Molecular Geometry
- The molecular geometry is trigonal planar - Boron has 3 valence electrons and forms 3 single bonds with chlorine atoms - Bond angles are 120° between each chlorine atom
Step 4:: Analyze Electronegativity
- Chlorine is much more electronegative than boron - Chlorine has an electronegativity of 3.16 - Boron has an electronegativity of 2.04 - This creates polar B-Cl bonds
Step 5:: Symmetry Analysis
- Despite polar B-Cl bonds, the trigonal planar geometry is symmetrical - The three chlorine atoms are arranged equally around the boron - The individual bond dipoles cancel each other out
Step 6:: Polarity Determination
- The symmetrical arrangement means the net dipole moment is zero - Therefore, BCl^3 is a nonpolar molecule
Final Answer
BCl^3 is a nonpolar molecule with trigonal planar geometry, despite having polar B-Cl bonds.
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