Question

A certain covalent bond contains sulfur bonded to chlorine. Which one of these statements about this compound is correct?

A. Electrons will reside closer to chlorine, and the bond will be non-polar.
B. Electrons will reside closer to chlorine, and the bond will be polar.
C. Electrons will reside closer to sulfur, and the bond will be polar.
D. Electrons will reside closer to sulfur, and the bond will be non-polar.

Answer 1

The bond between sulfur and chlorine is polar covalent because chlorine has a higher electronegativity than sulfur. Therefore, option B is correct, as electrons will reside closer to chlorine, making the bond polar.

Step-by-step explanation:

The covalent bond between sulfur and chlorine in a compound will be polar because the electronegativity of chlorine (3.0) is higher than that of sulfur. Electrons in a polar covalent bond will spend more time closer to the atom with the higher electronegativity, which in this case is chlorine. Therefore, the electrons will reside closer to the chlorine atom, creating an unequal distribution of electron density and resulting in a bond where the chlorine atom has a partial negative charge and the sulfur atom has a partial positive charge.