Final answer:
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a polar molecule due to its bent molecular shape and uneven distribution of charges caused by its trigonal planar electron-pair geometry and the presence of a lone pair on the sulfur atom.
Step-by-step explanation:
The molecule sulfur dioxide (SO2) is polar due to its bent molecular shape, which arises from its trigonal planar electron-pair geometry with one lone pair of electrons. The sulfur atom in SO2 is surrounded by two bonds and one lone pair of electrons, leading to sp2 hybridization.
This molecular structure creates a scenario where the charge is not evenly distributed, allowing for the existence of a dipole moment that makes SO2 a polar molecule. While both CO2 and SO2 have polar covalent bonds, CO2 is nonpolar overall because it has a linear molecular structure that allows for the dipoles to cancel each other out, unlike the bent shape of SO2 which does not allow for such cancellation.