Question

Specify whether CF4 is polar. Match the correct word in the left column to the blanks in the sentence on the right.

The C−F bond is _____ and using the Lewis structure the dipole moments sum to ______ dipole moment. Therefore the molecule is _______.





polar




no net




nonpolar




a net

Answer 1

CF4 is non polar

polar, no net, nonpolar

Step-by-step explanation:

The overall polarity of a molecule depends on the presence of polar bonds within the molecule and the orientation of the polar bonds to produce an overall dipole moment. This implies that the presence of polar bonds in a molecule does not automatically imply that such molecule is polar or will display on overall dipole moment. The orientation of the individual dipoles affects the overall dipole moment of the molecule.

A polar molecule results from an unequal/unsymmetrical sharing of valence electrons. While there may be unequal sharing of electrons in the individual bonds, in a nonpolar molecule like CF4 these bonds are evenly distributed and cancel out. There is no net dipole and the CF4 is non-polar. Hence the order of words chosen in the answer to fill in the blanks.