Final answer:
Cl₂O has a bent or angular molecular structure and it is polar due to the asymmetric distribution of electron density and the presence of polar O-Cl bonds.
Step-by-step explanation:
The molecule dichlorine monoxide (Cl₂O) has a bent or angular molecular structure. The structure of Cl₂O is best described using Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory, which predicts the shape based on the repulsion between electron pairs around the central atom. In Cl₂O, there are two bonding pairs and two lone pairs on the central oxygen atom. According to VSEPR theory, the presence of these lone pairs results in a bent shape (similar to water, H₂O).
Moreover, the molecule is polar because of the asymmetrical distribution of electron density, which creates a net dipole moment across the molecule. The oxygen has a higher electronegativity than the chlorine atoms, making the O-Cl bonds polar. These polar bonds and the bent geometry do not cancel out the bond moments, unlike in linear or symmetrical molecular shapes where the bond moments might cancel out, resulting in nonpolar molecules such as CO₂.
Therefore, the correct answer to the question is C. Bent or angular, polar.