In: Chemistry
which one of the following molecules is polar?
a. CS2, b. SO2 c. XeF2 d.XeF4, e. SO3
CS2 is a linear molecule and the sulfur (S) atoms on each end are symmetrical. Polarity results from an unequal sharing of valence electrons. Because of this symmetry there is no region of unequal sharing and CS2 is a non polar molecule.
In SO2, the sulphur-oxygen bonds are distinctly polar due to electronegativity difference between the two elements. The SO2 molecule has a bent shape like H2O with C2v symmetry. It has a net dipole moment, which is the resultant vector of the two S-O moments. Therefore, it is polar.
XeF2
It's a linear molecule with the fluorines symmetrically on the outside, and the xenon in the middle. It has no dipole moment.
XeF4
In xenon tetrafluoride, the four fluorine atoms are bonded to the central xenon atom in such a way that a symmetrical square planar geometry is formed, making it nonpolar.
SO3
In SO3 is a non-polar molecule. The molecule has three S-O bonds and no non-bonding pairs of electrons. The geometry is trigonal planar, resulting in a non-polar molecule.
So the,
answer is (b)—SO2