Question

Unless otherwise instructed, you may use the periodic table in the Chemistry: Problems and Solutions book for this question.

Which explanation accounts for why carbon monoxide is not a polar molecule?

The electronegativity differences between carbon and oxygen are not very large.

Carbon and oxygen do not form ions.

Carbon is a metal, and oxygen is a nonmetal.

There are no hydrogen atoms in the molecule.

Answer 1

The electronegativity differences between carbon and oxygen are not very large.

Step-by-step explanation:

Between the atoms of carbon monoxide exists a covalent bond which attaches the carbon to the oxygen.

In this type of bonding, both atoms shares a given number of valence electrons to attain chemical stability.

A substance is polar when there is a distinct charge separation between the species.

For covalent bonds, the electronegativity difference plays in important role in determining the polarity of the compound. When the difference is large, the compound will be polar but when the difference is very small or zero, no polarity will exist.

In between carbon and oxygen of carbon monoxide, the electronegativity difference is very low.