Sulfuryl chloride (SOCl₄) is a polar molecule.
Is SOCl₄ polar or nonpolar?
The overall molecular geometry affects the polarity of the molecule, even though the individual bonds between sulfur, oxygen, and chlorine may be polar due to differences in electronegativity. SOCl₄ is a tetrahedral molecular structure where the sulfur atom is surrounded by chlorine atoms.
Because of the molecular geometry, the dipole moments of the polar bonds do not cancel each other out, resulting in a net dipole moment. As a result, SOCl₄ is regarded as a polar molecule with an uneven charge distribution.