Monday, January 12, 2015

Online Chemistry Notes: Dichloromethane and polarity

The image below is a molecule called Dichloromethane.

Its'  formula is CH2Cl2. Notice the arrows? Those are dipole moments. 

Since Chlorine is more electronegative than Carbon, there are  dipole moments away from the carbon atom toward each chlorine atom. 

These two small arrows combine to make a NET DIPOLE. This is the large arrow. 

This net dipole causes the end of the molecule with the chlorine atoms to have a partial negative charge. At the same time, the Hydrogen atoms will have a partial positive charge.

 These partial (or delta) positive and negative charges cause this molecule to be polar.



Here is a Youtube video by Wayne Breslyn showing you how to draw the resonance structure: 




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