The following statements are not made as carefully as they...

Name: Problem 102, Chapter 10: General Chemistry: Principles and Modern Applications
Uploaded: 2020-08-20T11:03:50-08:00
Duration: 1 min 6 s
Channel: Lottie Adams
Description: The following statements are not made as carefully as they might be. Criticize each one. (a) Lewis structures with formal charges are incorrect. (b) Triatomic molecules have a planar shape. (c) Molecules in which there is an electronegativity difference between the bonded atoms are polar.

The following statements are not made as carefully as they might be. Criticize each one. (a) Lewis structures with formal charges are incorrect. (b) Triatomic molecules have a planar shape. (c) Molecules in which there is an electronegativity difference between the bonded atoms are polar.

The following statements are not made as carefully as they might be. Criticize each one.
(a) Lewis structures with formal charges are incorrect.
(b) Triatomic molecules have a planar shape.
(c) Molecules in which there is an electronegativity difference between the bonded atoms are polar.

Key Concepts

Electronegativity and Molecular Polarity

Electronegativity refers to an atom's tendency to attract electrons in a chemical bond, which can result in bond dipoles when bonded atoms have differing electronegativities. However, a molecule's overall polarity is determined not only by individual bond polarities but also by its three-dimensional geometry, which can lead to cancellation of dipole moments, resulting in a nonpolar molecule despite having polar bonds.

Lewis Structures and Formal Charges

Lewis structures are simplified diagrams representing the valence electrons in a molecule, and formal charges are bookkeeping tools used to indicate electron distribution. Understanding that having formal charges in a Lewis structure does not make it 'incorrect' is key, as formal charges are used to assess the most reasonable electron arrangement and satisfy rules like the octet rule, rather than to represent exact electron density distributions.

Molecular Geometry and VSEPR Theory

Molecular geometry describes the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in a molecule. The Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory explains that electron pairs surrounding a central atom will arrange themselves as far apart as possible, guiding the overall shape of the molecule. Although many small molecules, such as triatomic ones, can be planar, some may exhibit non-planar structures depending on factors like the presence of lone pairs or differences in bonding.

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