Answer to Question #97281 in General Chemistry for Beverlie

Question

1.Which, if any, of the three molecular geometries is likely to be polar if the outer atoms are identical and there is a difference in electronegativity between the central atom and the outer atoms? Choose all that apply.
2. Again, assuming that the electron-pair geometry of the four ball-and-stick representations below is identical, what is the hybridization on the central atom?
3. Which, if any, of the four molecular geometries is likely to be polar if the outer atoms are identical and there is a difference in electronegativity between the central atom and the outer atoms? Choose all that apply.

Answer 1

First of all, there are no structures to choose. However:

1) If all outer atoms are the same and the molecule is planar with some symmetry axes, like C3, C4 etc., then the molecule will not be polar at all. In turn, when the molecule with the mentioned type of axes possesses non-planar geometry, then it would be polar anyway;

2) Hybridization of the central atom would be governed with the type and number of electrons involved into the formation of the bonds between the central atoms and the outer atoms;

3) The answer would be the same as in the first point.