Question

Could someone tell me whether SF₃Cl₂ is polar or non-polar and to state why? Could someone explain to me which answer is correct and why? If possible, could you also explain how to know what atoms are in the axial position and which are in the equatorial position for a trigonal bypyramidal shaped molecule?

Answer 1

SF₃Cl₂ is a polar molecule due to the difference in electronegativities between the fluorine and chlorine atoms.

Step-by-step explanation:

The molecule SF₃Cl₂ is polar. To determine if a molecule is polar or nonpolar, we look at its molecular geometry and the electronegativities of its atoms. In SF₃Cl₂, the sulfur atom is the central atom and there are three fluorine atoms and two chlorine atoms bonded to it.

The molecule has a trigonal bipyramidal shape, with the three fluorine atoms in the equatorial position and the two chlorine atoms in the axial position. The fluorine and chlorine atoms have different electronegativities, causing a difference in the distribution of electron density and resulting in a polar molecule.