POLARITY OF

MOLECULES
Group 5
 • determines if a molecule is polar or
not

• deals with studying the three-

MOLECULAR dimensional (3D) shapes molecules
GEOMETRY form and how these shapes relate to
chemical reactivity and physical
characteristics
 VSEPR Theory
(Valence-Shell Electron-Pair Repulsion)

is a model used in
chemistry to predict
the geometry of
individual molecules
from
the number of
electron pairs
surrounding their
central atoms.
 1. Determine the central atom of a molecule. The
central atom is the least electronegative
element.

2. Count how many valence electrons the central

atom has.

3. Count how many valence electrons the side

DETERMINING THE atoms have.

VSEPR SHAPE OF A 4. Create the appropriate Lewis structure of the

molecule.
MOLECULE: 5. Using the Lewis structure as a guide, determine
the appropriate VSEPR shape for the
molecule.

6. Note how many electrons are shared and

unshared. This will help determine the
appropriate VSEPR shape.
 POLAR NON-POLAR
• MOLECULE:
H2O Bent - polar MOLECULE:
due to two lone
pairs • CO2 Linear
• NH3 Trigonal
pyramidal - polar
due to one lone pair
• CH4 Tetrahedral
• NO Linear - polar
due to unequal
sharing of electrons
• CCl4 Tetrahedral
 CONCLUSION
Non-polar molecules are symmetrical, with no
unshared electrons. Polar molecules are
asymmetrical, with lone pairs of electrons on
the center atom or atoms of different
electronegativities bound together.