Final answer:
Atoms that are more electronegative than sulfur, specifically nonmetals, can bond to sulfur to produce a positive partial charge on the sulfur atom. Nonmetals like oxygen or fluorine, which are more electronegative, create polar bonds where sulfur has a positive partial charge due to the unequal sharing of electrons.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine which atoms can bond to sulfur to produce a positive partial charge on the sulfur atom, we need to consider the relative electronegativities of sulfur and the other atoms it may bond with.
Sulfur, being a nonmetal in group 16, typically forms negative ions (anions) when reacting with metals since metals tend to lose electrons to achieve a noble gas electron configuration.
When sulfur bonds with nonmetals, especially those more electronegative than it (like oxygen or fluorine), sulfur can exhibit a positive partial charge due to the greater electronegativity of these nonmetal atoms pulling electron density away from sulfur.
Therefore, the correct answer is b. Nonmetals. Bonding with more electronegative nonmetals allows sulfur to have a positive partial charge because these atoms attract the shared electrons more strongly.
As for the most polar bond, it would involve a pair of atoms where one is significantly more electronegative than the other, leading to a large difference in electronegativity and thus a very polar bond.