Polar or Nonpolar?

Different substances behave in different

ways. Water and oil do not mix. This is
due to the nature of water and oil
molecules. Water has polar molecules
and oil is made up of nonpolar
molecules.
So, how do we determine if a molecule is polar or
nonpolar? Surely, we cannot expect to try and
mix up all substances we come across with, and
even after that we still would have to guess
which is polar or nonpolar. To make things simple,
we have to understand the molecules that make
up these substances, from this we can analyze
their molecular structures and determine if they
are polar or nonpolar.
Two main factors determine the polarity of molecules. These
are:

[Link] polarity of the bonds between the

atoms; and,
[Link] geometric shape of the molecule.
• Atoms of each element have different properties
such as atomic number, mass, oxidation number,
etc. One of these is what we call
electronegativity.
• Electronegativity is the relative tendency of an
atom to attract electrons to itself when
chemically combined with other atoms. The
higher the value of electronegativity, the more it
tends to pull electrons toward itself.
 Atoms
and
Electronegativity
• When atoms of approximately equal electronegativity
combine to form molecules, the attraction (figure 2)
and (most of the time) sharing of electrons are the
same (figure 3). These molecules form nonpolar
bonds.
When there is a huge difference in electronegativity, there is unequal
sharing of electrons which results in the formation of a nonpolar bond.
• In a molecule of chlorine gas (Cl2), there is equal
sharing of electrons which forms a bond between the
two Cl atoms. This bond is called nonpolar covalent
bond.
• When there is unequal sharing of electrons, as in the
case of hydrochloric acid (HCl) in figure 5, the shared
electron tends to draw closer to the more
electronegative atom which is chlorine. This bond is
called polar covalent bond.
• A polar bond has a slightly negative end labeled with
δ- (sigma), and a slightly positive end labeled δ+. The
polarity of a bond is sometimes indicated by a simple
arrow pointing from the positive end towards the
negative end of the bond (figure 6).
• The difference of electronegativity between the atoms
forming a bond can give us an indication of the
polarity of the bond.
• The greater the electronegativity difference, the more
polar the bond becomes.
• However, the type of bond is not the only determining
factor that determines the overall polarity of a
molecule.
• Another important factor to consider is the geometry
of the molecule. Take time to read and analyze the
figures below. Refer to your periodic table for the
electronegativities (X) of the elements.
• The bonds between C (2.5) and O (3.5) in Figure 7 are polar
each with an electronegativity difference of (/2.5 – 3.5/ =)
1.0.
• However, the linear geometry of the molecule aligning the C
atom between the two O atoms balances the polarity in the
bonds with both ends of the molecule becoming negatively
charged. This makes the overall molecule nonpolar (figure 7).
• The water (H2O) molecule is another example of how the
geometry of the molecule affects its polarity. While the
bonds between H and O atoms are polar, its bent shape
points the two positively charged H atoms away from the
negatively charged O atom, thereby making it a polar
molecule (figure 8).
Valence Shell Electron Pair
Repulsion (VSEPR) theory
The Lewis electron dot diagram and the concept of chemical
bonding introduced in your junior high school science are
useful in determining the geometry or overall shape of a given
molecule together with the valence shell electron pair
repulsion (VSEPR) theory.
The VSEPR theory is a guide for us to predict the arrangement
of atoms in a polyatomic molecule. In determining the
geometry of a molecule, we need to identify the central atom
first. Usually, the least numerous element, the least
electronegative element, or the element which can form the
most bonds is the central atom. Hydrogen can never be the
central atom (except in H2) as it can only form one bond.
In the water (H2O) molecule, the central atom is
oxygen since it is the least numerous element and can
form more bonds than hydrogen.

1. Create the appropriate Lewis dot structure of the

molecule.
2. Using the Lewis structure as a guide, determine the appropriate VSEPR
shape for the molecule. The number of electrons that are shared or
bonded including the lone pairs will help determine the appropriate VSEPR
shape.
Based on the Lewis dot structure, the molecule of water has two (2)
bonded pairs and two (2) lone pairs.
VSEPR MOLECULAR SHAPES
• We can now see that the molecular geometry shape of a
water molecule is angular or bent.
• Moreover, looking at the overall polarity of the water
molecule we can therefore say that water is a polar
molecule, since it has polar covalent bonds between H
and O, and it has an asymmetrical molecular geometry
shape that is angular/bent. Remember, when the
molecule is symmetrical, it is most often nonpolar.
• When the molecule is asymmetrical, it is most often
polar.
Polar molecules:
Nonpolar molecules:
LET’S TRY!
Activity 1: Determining Bond Polarity
Silicones are polymeric compounds containing, among others, the
following covalent bonds:

Si–O, Si–C, C–H, and C–C.

1. Copy and fill-out the table below.
2. Compute for the electronegativity difference between the
bonds given the electronegativity values (X) of the following
elements:
Si = 1.8 O = 3.5 C = 2.5 H = 2.1
3. Determine whether the type of bond formed between the
atoms is ionic, polar covalent, or nonpolar covalent bonds
using the table of
electronegativity and bond type on page 3.
Guide Questions:
1. Which atoms shared nonpolar covalent bonds?
2. Which atoms shared polar covalent bonds?
3. Are there atoms that share ionic bonds? Why or why not?