Final answer:
The statement that a symmetric molecule will be nonpolar overall, even if the individual bonds are polar, is true. The symmetry in molecules like CO2, BF3, and CCl4 allows the polarities to cancel each other out, resulting in a nonpolar molecule.
Step-by-step explanation:
A symmetric molecule will be nonpolar overall, even if the individual bonds inside it are polar. This statement is true. The polarity of individual polar bonds can cancel out in a symmetric molecule. For example, molecules like CO2, BF3, and CCl4 are nonpolar, even though they contain polar bonds. This occurs because these molecules have symmetrical shapes that distribute the bond polarity evenly, resulting in no net dipole moment.
It is important to note that for a molecule to be nonpolar, the molecule must be symmetric in three dimensions, and all the bonds' polarities must effectively cancel out. Symmetrical molecules such as linear (CO2), trigonal planar (BF3), and tetrahedral (CCl4) structures typically display this cancellation of polarity, rendering the molecule nonpolar.