Determine whether each molecule in Exercise 36 is polar or nonpolar.
a. CS2
b. SCl2
c. CHF3
d. PF3

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Determine the molecular geometry of each molecule using VSEPR theory.

For each molecule, identify the electronegativity of each atom involved.

Assess the symmetry of the molecule to determine if the dipoles cancel out.

For polar molecules, the dipoles do not cancel out, resulting in a net dipole moment.

For nonpolar molecules, the dipoles cancel out, resulting in no net dipole moment.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Molecular Geometry

Molecular geometry refers to the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms within a molecule. The shape of a molecule is determined by the number of bonding pairs and lone pairs of electrons around the central atom, which can influence the distribution of charge and, consequently, the polarity of the molecule.

Electronegativity

Electronegativity is a measure of an atom's ability to attract and hold onto electrons in a chemical bond. Differences in electronegativity between bonded atoms can lead to polar covalent bonds, where electrons are shared unequally, resulting in partial positive and negative charges that contribute to the overall polarity of the molecule.

Dipole Moment

A dipole moment is a vector quantity that represents the separation of positive and negative charges in a molecule. It is calculated as the product of the charge and the distance between the charges. Molecules with a net dipole moment are considered polar, while those with no net dipole moment are nonpolar, regardless of the presence of polar bonds.

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