Chemistry / Chem 1065 · Atom · ~20 seconds
The Polar-Bonds-Therefore-Polar-Molecule Misconception
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Assuming a molecule is polar whenever it contains polar bonds ignores that molecular geometry can cancel those bond dipoles entirely.
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A student predicting carbon dioxide is polar because its C=O bonds are polar contradicts the molecule's measured zero dipole moment.
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Judging molecular polarity from bond polarity alone, skipping the geometry step, is the single most common error in this topic.
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