Question

HOW CAN YOU TELL IF A MOLECULE is pOLAR OR NON POLAR JUST BY LOOKING AT IT...

Answer 1

WITHOUT DOING ALL THE CALCULATIONS AND DRAWING IT OUT AND STUFF

Answer 2

It's shape would help you tell. Linear compounds are much easier to tell because the electronegativity distributes equally. But other than that, you have to do all that work.

Answer 3

so you have to draw it out?

Answer 4

or can u look at the elctronegativities and say OH THATS NONPOLAR. OH THATS POLAR.

Answer 5

You have to draw them because some compounds may look like a certain shape, but that might not be it's actual shape. Remember molecular and geometric shapes? With practice you will get used to polar and non-polar molecules.

Answer 6

molecular geometry and molecular structure*

Answer 7

thanks broski

Answer 8

No problem

Answer 9

wait how do u tell if its polar or non polar by looking at a lewis structure since i don't want to study the shapes

Answer 10

Well what you do is check if a molecule has polar bonds distributed evenly or symmetrically, if the bond dipoles cancel each other, then it's not polar. Look at \[BF_3 \] for example

None of the sides have more negative charges or positive charges than the others that's why it's non polar.
Look at \[H_2 O\] on the other hand

See the polar bonds are retricemetrical and that's why it's polar. So you just need to see if the polar bonds cancel each other out due to it;s symmetry.