Polarity of simple molecules M2W3

Physical

Different functional group Science

I. Learning Competencies/ Objectives

 Determine the polarity of simple molecules

 Describe the different functional groups

II. Lesson Proper

A. Introduction:
Purely ionic and purely covalent bonds are rare.

Most compounds exhibit both ionic and covalent characteristics to some degree. The type of bond formed
depends on the difference in electronegativity (EN) between the atoms involved. A metal and a nonmetal
form ionic bond, and two nonmetals usually share electrons and form a covalent bond.

B. Discussion:
Polarity or unequal distribution of electron density results when the atoms sharing the electron
pair differ in electronegativity by more than 0.5. In LiF, the difference in the electronegativity values is
3.0 (EN of Li = 0.98, EN of F = 3.98) and the bond is ionic. The bond in H 2 has an EN difference of zero
and is mainly covalent and nonpolar. A guide to the percent ionic and percent covalent characteristics of
bonds is given by the difference in EN of atoms sharing an electron pair. If the EN difference is 0, it is a
nonpolar covalent bond. If it is greater than 0 but less than 2.0, it is a polar covalent bond. Lastly, if it is
equal to 2.0 or greater, it is ionic.

EN difference Types of Bond Polarity of the bond Polarity of molecule

3.3 100% ionic --- ---
1.4 42% covalent, 58% ionic Polar ---
0.5 or higher Mainly covalent Polar Depends on the direction of
polarity
0 100% covalent nonpolar nonpolar

Hybrid Orbitals

In the formation of a covalent bond, electron clouds form overlaps. The greater the extent of overlap, the stronger the
bond. Atomic orbitals cannot maximize the extent of the overlap because the nucleus serves as barrier. To explain why some
overlaps of electron clouds are maximized in some molecules, the concept of hybridization was proposed. The hybrid orbitals
commonly cited are:
 a) Sp3 hybrid, which is composed of ones and three p orbitals, produce four sp3 hybrid orbitals that are oriented at109.50
from each other, forming a tetrahedral geometry.

b) Sp2 hybrid, which is composed of one s and two p orbitals, produce three sp2 hybrid orbitals that are oriented at 1200
from each other, forming a trigonal planar geometry.

c) Sp hybrid, which is composed of one s and one p orbital, produce two sp hybrid orbitals that are oriented at 1800 from
each other, forming a linear or diagonal geometry.

Molecular Geometry in Covalent Compounds

The shape of a molecule is determined by several factors. One factor is the number of atoms in the molecule. A
diatomic molecule like H2 can be only linear. As the number of atoms making up the molecule increase, more shapes become
possible. A molecule with three atoms can be linear like carbon dioxide (CO 2) or angular like water (H2O).

Another factor is the number of paired electrons (bonded pair). An atom with three bonded pairs will probably be
planar and trigonal like boron triflouride (BF3), while a molecule with four bonded pairs will most likely be tetrahedral like
methane (CH4).

The valence shell electron pair repulsion theory (VSEPR) hypothesis that electron pairs repel each other and try to
get as far from each other as possible. Carbon has four electrons available for bonding. It is more likely to form covalent bonds
rather than ionic. Thus, when carbon shares electrons with four hydrogen atoms to form methane, the electron pairs formed repel
each other. To minimize the repulsion, the molecules assume a tetrahedral shape with bond angles of 109.5 0 between electron
clouds. Although the C-H bonds are slightly polar, the molecule is nonpolar because the centers of positive and negative charges
coincide, causing bond polarity to cancel out.

The presence of lone pairs also influences the shape of a molecule. Ammonia (NH 3) is forms from central atom of
nitrogen with five electrons. The five electrons are distributed as a pair and three unpaired electrons. When nitrogen bonds with
three hydrogen atoms, it uses the three unpaired electrons to form three normal covalent bonds. A lone pair is considerably more
diffuse or “falter” than the bonded pairs, because it is attracted by one nucleus. The lone pair pushes the bonded pairs closer
together, forming a distorted tetrahedron with a bond angle of 160 0. The N-H bond is slightly polar, and ammonia (NH3) is not
symmetrical molecule, thus, bond polarity does not cancel out, and as expected, NH 3 is a polar molecule.

In the case of water, H2O, it consists, of an oxygen atom with two unpaired electrons and two lone pairs. The unpaired
electrons bond with hydrogen to form two bonded pairs. The two lone pairs push the two bonded pairs closer, distorting the
tetrahedron to a degree greater than that of NH3. This accounts for a bond angle of 1050 in water.

C. Practice:

D. Summary:

E. Extended Works:
F. Assignment:

III. Additional Resources