Senior High School

General
Chemistry 1
Quarter 1 Week 8 Module 8
Molecular Geometry
and Polarity
General Chemistry 1 – Grade 11
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 1 Week 8 Module 8: Molecular Geometry and Polarity
2nd Edition 2021

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 What I Need to Know
This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you
master the nature of Chemistry. The scope of this module permits it to be used in
many different learning situations. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard
sequence of the course. The module is divided into three lessons, namely:
• Lesson 1 – Molecular Geometry
• Lesson 2 – Electronegativity and Bond Polarity
• Lesson 3 – Molecule Polarity
After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. describe the geometry of simple compounds
2. determine the polarity of simple molecules

What I Know
I. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write your answer on a separate sheet of
paper.
1. The structure of _______ is NOT “planar” geometry.
A. BF3 B. NH3 C. SO3 D. XeF4
2. _______ is a polar molecule.
A. BeCl2 B. O2 C. N2 D. SO2
3. A covalently bonded molecule is more polar when________
A. electrons are shared equally
B. electronegativities are the same
C. electrons are transferred, not shared
D. there is a large difference in electronegativity
4. Among the given molecules, the largest dipole moment is exhibited by ______.
A. CH4 B. H2O C. PF5 D. PH3
5. The structure/s in _______ show/s linear geometry.
I. CO2 II. IF2- III. XeF2
A. I only B. II only C. III only D. I, II and III
6. ______ has the longest bondlength.
A. N – Br B. N – Cl C. N – F D. N – O
7. The molecule ______ is LEAST likely to exist.
A. NF3 B. NI5 C. PBr3 D. PCl5
8. All are nonpolar EXCEPT ________.
A. BF3 B. CH4 C. CH3F D. CO2
9. _________ shows the LEAST ionic character.
A. Al – F B. C – H C. Ca – Cl D. N – O
10. The molecule _______ is nonpolar but has polar covalent bonds.
A. N2 B. CCl4 C. H2O D. H2O2

11.
The Lewis structures for CO2 and SO2 are given above. The molecular geometry and
polarity of the two substances are __________.
A. the same because the molecular formulas are similar
B. the same because C and S have similar electronegativity values
C. different because the lone pair of the electrons on the S atom make it the
negative end of a dipole
D. different because S has a greater number of electron domains (regions of
electron density) surrounding it than C has
12. ________ shows the greatest difference in electronegativity.
A. AlCl3 B. KF C. LiI D. NaBr
13. The bond between hydrogen and oxygen in a water molecule is ________.
A. ionic and polar C. ionic and nonpolar
B. covalent and polar D. covalent and nonpolar
14. ________ is a nonpolar molecule containing a nonpolar covalent bond.
A. CO2 B) H2O C. I2 D. NH3
15. The electrons between two iodine atoms are shared __________.
A. equally, and the resulting bond is polar
B. unequally, and the resulting bond is polar
C. equally, and the resulting bond is nonpolar
D. unequally, and the resulting bond is nonpolar

Lesson 1 Molecular Geometry

What’s In
We have seen in Module 7 that Lewis structures help us understand the
compositions of molecules and their covalent bonds. However, Lewis structures do
not show one of the most important aspects of molecules – their overall shapes. This
will be the focus in this module. Molecules have shapes and sizes that are defined by
the angles and distances between the nuclei of their component atoms. Indeed,
chemists often refer to molecular architecture when describing the distinctive shapes
and sizes of molecules. The shape and size of a molecule of a particular substance,
together with the strength and polarity of its bonds, largely determine the properties
of that substance. Some of the dramatic examples of the most important roles of
molecular shape and size are seen in biochemical reactions and in substances
produced by living species.

What’s New
The Pacific yew tree is a species that grows along
the Pacific coast of the northwestern United States and
Canada. In 1967, two chemists isolated from the bark
of the Pacific yew small amounts of a molecule that was
found to be among the most effective treatments for
breast and ovarian cancer. This molecule, now known
as the pharmaceutical Taxol®, has a complex
molecular architecture that leads to its powerful
therapeutic effectiveness. Even a small modification to
the shape and size of the molecule decreases its
effectiveness and can lead to the formation of a
substance toxic to humans. Chemists now know how
to synthesize the drug in the laboratory, which has
made it more available and has saved the slow-growing
Pacific yew tree from possible extinction. Before the
Figure 8.1
Pacific yew tree drug was synthesized, six trees had to be harvested to
(Source:https://www.centralcoast provide the Taxol® necessary to treat one cancer
biodiversity.org/western-yew-bull- patient.
taxus-brevifolia.html)
)
 What Is It
In Module 7 we used Lewis structures to account for the formulas of covalent
compounds. Lewis structures, however, do not indicate the shapes of molecules; they
simply show the number and types of bonds between atoms. For example, the Lewis
structure of CCl4 tells us only that four Cl atoms are bonded to a central C atom:

The Lewis structure is drawn with the atoms all in the same plane, however,
the actual three-dimensional arrangement of the atoms shows the Cl atoms at the
corners of a tetrahedron, a geometric object with four corners and four faces, each of
which is an equilateral triangle. The overall shape of a molecule is determined by its
bond angles, the angles made by the lines joining the nuclei of the atoms in the
molecule.

(a) tetrahedron b) geometry of CCl4 c) representation of CCl4

(ball-and-stick model) (space-filling model)

Figure 8.2 Tetrahedral geometry

(Source: Brown, T. et al. (2009). Chemistry The Central Science 11 ed. USA: Pearson Prentice Hall)

In our discussion of the shapes of molecules, we will begin with molecules

(and ions) that, like CCl4, have a single central atom bonded to two or more atoms of
the same type. Such molecules conform to the general formula ABn, in which the
central atom A is bonded to n B atoms. Both CO2 and H2O are AB2 molecules, for
example, whereas SO3 and NH3 are AB3 molecules, and so on. The possible shapes
of ABn molecules depend on the value of n.

The VSEPR Model

We have seen that a single covalent bond is formed between two atoms when
a pair of electrons occupies the space between the atoms. A bonding pair of electrons
thus defines a region in which the electrons will most likely be found. We will refer
to such a region as an electron domain. Likewise, a nonbonding pair (or lone pair)
of electrons defines an electron domain
that is located principally on one atom. For
example, the Lewis structure of NH3 has
four electron domains around the central
nitrogen atom (three bonding pairs and one
nonbonding pair).
 Each multiple bond in a molecule also constitutes a single electron domain.
Thus, the following resonance structure for O3 has three electron domains
around the central oxygen atom (a single bond, a double bond, and a nonbonding
pair of electrons):

In general, each nonbonding pair, single bond, or multiple bond produces an electron
domain around the central atom.

The VSEPR model is based on the idea that electron domains are negativeIy charged
and therefore repel one another. The best arrangement of a given number of
electron domains is the one that minimizes the repulsions among them.

Two electron domains are arranged linearly, three domains are arranged in a trigonal-
planar fashion, and four are arranged tetrahedrally. These arrangements, together
with those for five electron domains (trigonal bipyramidal) and six electron domains
(octahedral), are summarized in Table 8.1.

Table 8.1 Electron-Domain Geometries as a Function of the Number of Electron Domains

 The arrangement of electron domains about the central atom of an ABn
molecule or ion is called its electron-domain geometry. In contrast, the
molecular geometry is the arrangement of only the atoms in a molecule or ion – any
nonbonding pairs are not part of the description of the molecular geometry.
In the VSEPR model, we predict the electron-domain geometry. From knowing
how many domains are due to nonbonding pairs, we can then predict the molecular
geometry of a molecule or ion from its electron-domain geometry.

Figure 8.3 Molecular geometry of NH3

(Source: Brown, T. et al. (2009). Chemistry The Central Science 11 ed. USA: Pearson Prentice Hall)

The geometry is predicted by first drawing the Lewis structure, then using the VSEPR
model to determine the electron-domain geometry, and finally focusing on the atoms
themselves to describe the molecular geometry.

Consider the NH3 molecule, which has four electron domains around the
nitrogen atom. We know from Table 8.1 that the repulsions among four electron
domains are minimized when the domains point toward the vertices of a tetrahedron,
so the electron-domain geometry of NH3 is tetrahedral. We know from the Lewis
structure of NH3 that one of the electron domains is due to a nonbonding pair of
electrons, which will occupy one of the four vertices of the tetrahedron. Hence the
molecular geometry of NH3 is trigonal pyramidal, as shown in Figure 8.3. Notice that
the tetrahedral arrangement of the four electron domains leads us to predict the
trigonal-pyramidal molecular geometry.

We can generalize the steps we follow in using the VSEPR model to predict the
shapes of molecules or ions:

1. Draw the Lewis structure of the molecule or ion, and count the total
number of electron domains around the central atom. Each nonbonding
electron pair, each single bond, each double bond, and each triple bond
counts as an electron domain.

2. Determine the electron-domain geometry by arranging the electron domains

about the central atom so that the repulsions among them are minimized,
as shown in Table 8.l.

3. Use the arrangement of the bonded atoms to determine the molecular

geometry.

Table 8.2 summarizes the possible molecular geometries when an ABn

molecule has four or fewer electron domains about A. These geometries are
important because they include all the commonly occurring shapes found for
molecules or ions that obey the octet rule.
Table 8.2. Electron-Domain Geometries and Molecular Shapes for Molecules with
Two, Three, and Four Electron Domains around the Central Atom

Molecules with Expanded Valence Shells

So far, our discussion of the VSEPR model has considered molecules with no
more than an octet of electrons around the central atom. Recall, however, that
when the central atom of a molecule is from the third period of the periodic
table and beyond, that atom may have more than four electron pairs around it.
Molecules with five or six electron domains around the central atom display a variety
of molecular geometries based on the trigonal-bipyramidal (five electron domains) or
the octahedral (six electron domains) electron-domain geometries, as shown in Table
8.3 on the next page.
 The most stable electron-domain geometry for five electron domains is the
trigonal bipyramid (two trigonal pyramids sharing a base). Unlike the arrangements
we have seen to this point, the electron domains in a trigonal bipyramid
can point toward two geometrically distinct types of positions. Two of the five
domains point toward axial positions, and the remaining three domains point toward
equatorial positions (Figure 8.4). Each axial domain makes a 90° angle with
any equatorial domain. Each equatorial domain makes a 120° angle with either
of the other two equatorial domains and a 90° angle with either axial domain.

Figure 8.4 Trigonal-bipyramidal geometry

(Source: Brown, T. et al. (2009). Chemistry The Central Science 11 ed. USA: Pearson Prentice Hall)

If a molecule has nonbonding electron domains, they will occupy the equatorial
positions.

The most stable electron-domain geometry for six electron domains is the
octahedron. As shown in Figure 8.4, an octahedron is a polyhedron with eight
faces and six vertices, each of which is an equilateral triangle. If an atom has six
electron domains around it, that atom can be visualized as being at the center of
the octahedron with the electron domains pointing toward the six vertices.
All the bond angles in an octahedron are 90°, and all six vertices are equivalent.

Figure 8.5. An octahedron

(Source: Brown, T. et al. (2009). Chemistry The Central Science 11 ed. USA: Pearson Prentice Hall)
Table 8.3. Electron-Domain Geometries and Molecular Shapes for Molecules with
Five and Six Electron Domains around the Central Atom
Shapes of Larger Molecules

Although the structures of the molecules and ions we have already considered
contain only a single central atom, the VSEPR model can be extended to more
complex molecules. Consider the acetic acid molecule, with the following
Lewis structure:

Acetic acid has three interior atoms: the left C atom, the central C atom, and
the rightmost O atom. We can use the VSEPR model to predict the geometry
about each 01 these atoms individually:

The leftmost C has four electron domains (all from bonding pairs), and so
the geometry around that atom is tetrahedral. The central C has three electron
domains (counting the double bond as one domain). Thus, the geometry
around that atom is trigonal planar. The O atom has four electron domains (two
from bonding pairs and two from nonbonding pairs), so its electron-domain
geometry is tetrahedral, and the molecular geometry around O is bent. The
bond angles about the central C atom and the O atom are expected to deviate
slightly from the ideal values of 120⁰ and 109.5⁰ because of the spatial demands
of multiple bonds and nonbonding electron pairs. The structure of the acetic
acid molecule is shown in Figure 8.6.

Figure 8.6 Ball-and-stick (left) and space-filling (right) representations of acetic acid,
CH3COOH
(Source: Brown, T. et al. (2009). Chemistry The Central Science 11 ed. USA: Pearson Prentice Hall)
 What’s More

I. Based on the given illustration, complete the table with the necessary information.

II. Classify the following molecules according to their molecular geometry by putting
them into their appropriate box in the example column of the table:

H2O CH4 SF4 H2S OF2

CO2 XeF4 BrF5 I31- CO32-
NH3 PCl5 SF6 O3 HCN
NO21- XeF2 ClF3 SiCl4 ICl3

Illustration Total No. No. of No. of Electron Molecular Bond Example(s)

of Bonding Nonbonding Domain Geometry Angle(s)
Electron Domains Domains Geometry
Domains
1

7
 8

10

11

12

13

III. Give the approximate values for the indicated bond angles in the following
molecules:
 Lesson 2 Electronegativity and Bond Polarity

What’s In
We now have a sense of the shapes that molecules adopt and why they do
so. We will spend the rest of the lessons looking more closely at the ways in which
electrons are shared to form the bonds between atoms in molecules. We will
begin by digging deeper into concepts namely electronegativity, bond polarity and
dipole moments.

What’s New
If you combine oil and water in a
container, they separate into distinct
regions (Figure 8.7). Why? Something about
water molecules causes them to bunch
together into one region, expelling the oil
molecules into a separate region.
What is that something? We can begin to
understand the answer by examining the
Lewis structure of water.
Figure 8.7
Oil and water do not mix.
(Source: Tro, N. J. (2012). Introductory
Chemistry 4th ed. USA: Prentice Hall Inc.)

What Is It
In the Lewis structure of water, the two bonds between O and H each consist
of an electron pair—two electrons shared between the oxygen atom and the hydrogen
atom. The oxygen and hydrogen atoms each donate one electron to this electron pair;
however, like most children, they do not share them equally. The oxygen atom takes
more than its fair share of the electron pair.

Electronegativity

The ability of an element to attract electrons within a covalent bond is called

electronegativity. Oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen, which means
that, on average, the shared electrons are more likely to be found near the oxygen
atom than near the hydrogen atom. Consider one of the two OH bonds:
Since the electron
pair is unequally
shared (with oxygen
getting the larger
share), the oxygen
atom has a partial
negative charge,
symbolized by δ
(delta minus).
The hydrogen atom
(getting the smaller
share) has a partial
positive charge,
symbolized by δ+
(delta plus). The
result of this uneven
electron sharing is a Figure 8.8 Electronegativity of the elements
dipole moment, a (Source: Tro, N. J. (2012). Introductory Chemistry 4th ed. USA: Prentice Hall Inc.)
separation of charge
within the bond. Covalent bonds that have a dipole
moment are called polar covalent bonds. The
magnitude of the dipole moment, and therefore the
degree of polarity of the bond, depend on the
electronegativity difference between the two
elements in the bond and the length of the bond. Figure 8.9. Pure (nonpolar)
For a fixed bond length, the greater the covalent bonding
electronegativity difference, the greater the dipole In Cl2, the two Cl atoms share
moment and the more polar the bond. the electrons evenly. This is a
Figure 8.8 shows the relative pure or nonpolar covalent
electronegativities of the elements. Notice that bond.
electronegativity increases as you go toward the
right across a period in the periodic table and
decreases as you go down a column in the periodic
table. If two elements with identical
electronegativities form a covalent bond, they share Figure 8.10. Ionic bonding
the electrons equally, and there is no dipole In NaCl, Na completely
moment. For example, the chlorine molecule, transfers an electron to Cl.
composed of two chlorine atoms (which of course This is an ionic bond.
have identical electronegativities), has a pure
covalent bond in which electrons are evenly shared
(Figure 8.9). The bond has no dipole moment, and
the molecule is nonpolar.
If there is a large electronegativity difference
between the two elements in a bond, such as
normally occurs between a metal and a nonmetal, Figure 8.11. Polar covalent
the electron is completely transferred and the bond bonding
In HF, the electrons are
is ionic. For example, sodium and chlorine
shared, but the shared
form an ionic bond (Figure 8.10). electrons are more likely to be
If there is an intermediate electronegativity found on F than on H. This
difference between the two elements, such as bond is polar covalent.
between two different nonmetals, then the bond is
polar covalent. For example, HF forms a polar (Source: Tro, N. J. (2012). Introductory
Chemistry 4th ed. USA: Prentice Hall
covalent bond (Figure 8.11). Inc.)
These concepts are summarized in Table 8.4 and Figure 8.12.

Table 8.4. The Effect of Electronegativity Difference on Bond Type

Electronegativity Difference (ΔEN) Bond Type Example
Zero (0-0.4) Pure / Nonpolar covalent Cl2
Intermediate (0.5-1.7) Polar covalent HF
Large (>1.7) Mostly ionic NaCl

Figure 8.12 The continuum of bond types

(Source: Tro, N. J. (2012). Introductory Chemistry 4th ed. USA: Prentice Hall Inc.)

Example: Classifying Bonds as Nonpolar Covalent, Polar Covalent, or Ionic

Determine whether the bond formed between each pair of atoms is nonpolar
covalent, polar covalent, or ionic.
(a) Sr and F (b) N and Cl (c) N and O
Solution:
(a) In Figure 8.8, we find the electronegativity of Sr (1.0) and of F (4.0). The
electronegativity difference (ΔEN) is:
ΔEN = 4.0 - 1.0 = 3.0
Referring to Table 8.4, we classify this bond as ionic.
(b) In Figure 8.8, we find the electronegativity of N (3.0) and of Cl (3.0). The
electronegativity difference (ΔEN) is:
ΔEN = 3.0 - 3.0 = 0
Referring to Table 8.4, we classify this bond as pure covalent.
(c) In Figure 8.8, we find the electronegativity of N (3.0) and of O (3.5) The
electronegativity difference (ΔEN) is:
ΔEN = 3.5 - 3.0 = 0.5
Referring to Table 8.4, we classify this bond as polar covalent.

What’s More
Answer the following on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Find the electronegativity difference between each pair of elements; then classify
the bonds that occur between them as nonpolar covalent, polar covalent, or ionic.
(1.1) Mg and Br
(1.2) Br and Br
(1.3) Si and O
(1.4) K and Cl
 (1.5) N and N
(1.6) C and S
(1.7) C and Cl
2. List these elements in order of decreasing electronegativity: Rb, Cl, Ca, Ga.
3. List these elements in order of increasing electronegativity: Ba, N, F, Cs.
4. Arrange these diatomic molecules in order of increasing bond polarity:
ICl, HBr, H2, CO
5. Arrange these diatomic molecules in order of decreasing bond polarity:
HCl, NO, HF, HI

Lesson 3 Molecule Polarity

What’s In
We have seen in Lesson 2 that when two nonmetal atoms, having different
eletronegativities, bond by sharing electrons unequally, a polar bond results between
them. Does the presence of one or more polar bonds in a molecule always result in a
polar molecule? Read on to find out.

What’s New
A polar molecule is one with polar bonds that add together – they do not
cancel each other – to form a net dipole moment. For diatomic molecules, you can
easily tell polar molecules from nonpolar ones. If a diatomic molecule contains polar
bond, then the molecule is polar. However, for molecules with more than two atoms
it is more difficult to tell polar molecules from nonpolar ones because two or more
polar bonds may cancel one another.

What is It
Once we know the molecule’s shape, we can determine whether a molecule is
polar or nonpolar. A polar molecule is one in which one side, or end, of the molecule
has a slight positive charge and the other side, or end, has a slight negative
charge. This will occur whenever the molecule is not completely symmetric. (Unless,
of course, the molecule is a hydrocarbon.) The other simple case – a molecule that
consists of two atoms of the same element – is nonpolar precisely because it is
completely symmetric.
Nonpolar = completely Polar = uneven
symmetric distribution
distribution of of charge
charge

Symmetry
A nonpolar molecule is one which is completely symmetric. Symmetric shapes
include linear, trigonal planar, and tetrahedral. In order for a molecule to be
nonpolar, it must have one of these shapes. But that is not quite enough. There are a
few other equally symmetric shapes that arise when there are five or six groups of
electrons around the central atom. They are called a trigonal bipyramidal and an
octahedral. Interestingly, when there are six groups of electrons around the central
atom, it is possible to have a central atom with two lone pairs that still has its outer
atoms arranged in a completely symmetric manner. This shape is called square
planar. In addition to having a symmetric shape, for the molecule to be completely
symmetric, all of the atoms that are attached to the central atom must be the
same. For this reason, SO3 is completely symmetric but SOCl 2 is not, even though
they are both trigonal planar.

SO3 – trigonal planar SOCl2 – trigonal planar but

and completely symmetric unsymmetric

Figure 8.13 SO3 and SOCl2 symmetry

Determining Polarity Determining Polarity

1. Is the molecule a hydrocarbon?
Let us illustrate YES – The molecule is nonpolar.
with two examples, NO - Determine the molecule’s Lewis structure.
PCl3 and CCl4. To
determine whether a PCl3 CCl4
molecule is polar or No – We must determine No – We must determine
nonpolar, unless the the Lewis structure. the Lewis structure.
molecule is a
hydrocarbon, or has
only two atoms of the
same element, first
complete its Lewis
structure.

Next, use the Determining Polarity

Lewis structure to 2. Determine the molecule’s shape.
determine the shape of
the molecule. There are
only five possible PCl3 CCl4
shapes we will deal
with. The symmetric
shapes are linear,
trigonal planar, and
tetrahedral. The
unsymmetric shapes
are bent and trigonal four groups of electrons, four groups of electrons,
pyramidal. The one lone pair: no lone pairs:
symmetric shapes are trigonal pyramidal tetrahedral
associated with
molecules whose central atoms have no lone pairs. The unsymmetric shapes are
associated with molecules whose central atoms have one or more lone pairs.
Then look to see Determining Polarity
whether the shape is 3. Is the shape symmetric?
symmetric. If not, the NO – The molecule is polar.
molecule is polar. Even YES – Examine the outside atoms.
if all the outer atoms are
PCl3 CCl4
the same, a molecule
with an unsymmetric
shape will be (at least
slightly) polar. The lone
pair or pairs of electrons
on the central atom
guarantee a Trigonal pyramidal is not Tetrahedral is a
nonuniform symmetric: symmetric shape:
distribution of polar examine outside atoms
electrons. The polarity
of the bonds – if they are polar – also contributes to the polarity of the molecule.

If the shape is
symmetric, look to see Determining Polarity
whether all of the atoms 4. If the shape is symmetric, are all the outside atoms
attached to the central the same?
atom are the same. If NO – The molecule is polar.
so, the molecule is YES – The molecule is nonpolar.
nonpolar. If there is CCl4
more than one kind of
atom attached to the
central atom, the
molecule is polar. If all
the outer atoms are the
same (and the molecule All four outside atms are the same (chlorine).
has a symmetric shape), Nonpolar
the electrons will be
distributed uniformly,
even if the bonds are very polar. The symmetric shape and the fact that the polarities
of the bonds are exactly the same means that the polarities of the bonds cancel each
other out, leaving the molecule as a whole nonpolar.

Many molecules are

nonpolar, but have
polar bonds. A bond is
polar if the two atoms on
either end are
different. The one
general exception to this
rule is the bond between polar bonds in a nonpolar molecule
C and H. C-H bonds are
only very slightly polar,
and so behave as
though they were
nonpolar. nonpolar bonds in a polar molecule (the polarity is due
The other, much less to the lone pair on the central oxgen atom)
common, exception to
this rule is the N-Cl
bond. Nitrogen and chlorine have almost identical electronegativities, and so the N-
Cl bond is essentially nonpolar. Even so, the one common compound that contains
N-Cl bonds, NCl3, is still slightly polar because of the lone pair of electrons on the
nitrogen atom.

Whether or not a molecule is polar is important because it influences many of

the molecules’ properties such as its state at room temperature or its solubility or
miscibility with other compounds. Polar molecules
tend to behave differently than nonpolar molecules.
Water and oil do not mix, for example, because water
molecules are polar and the molecules that compose
oil are generally nonpolar. Polar molecules interact
strongly with other polar molecules because the
positive end of one molecule is attracted to the
negative end of another, just as the south pole of a
magnet is attracted to the north pole of another
magnet.
A mixture of polar and nonpolar molecules is similar
to a mixture of small magnetic and nonmagnetic Figure 8.14 Oil and
particles. The magnetic particles clump together, water heterogeneous
excluding the nonmagnetic ones and separating into mixture
(Source: Tro, N. J. (2012).
distinct regions. Similarly, the polar water molecules Introductory Chemistry 4th ed.
attract one another, forming regions from which the USA: Prentice Hall Inc.)
nonpolar oil molecules are excluded.

What’s More

Directions:
1. Copy the table below on a separate sheet of paper.
2. In the Lewis structure column, draw the Lewis structure of the given molecule.
3. Compute for the electronegativity difference.
4. Under the “Bond Polarity” column, indicate whether any of the bonds in the
molecule are polar or nonpolar
5. Under the “Molecular Polarity” column, indicate whether the whole molecule is
polar or nonpolar.

Molecule Lewis Structure ΔEN of the Bond Polarity Molecule

bonds Polarity
PCl3
BH3
CH3Cl
SO2
SO3
H2 O
NH3
HCN
CH4
CH2O
O3
CH3CH3
OF2
N2
 What I Have Learned
Fill in the blanks with the correct term(s). Write your answers on a separate
sheet of paper.
1.The ________________________ model rationalizes molecular geometries based on the
repulsions between ______________________, which are regions about a central atom
where electrons are likely to be found. Bonding pairs of electrons, which are those
involved in making bonds, and nonbonding pairs of electrons, also called
______________________, both create electron domains around an atom. According to
the VSEPR model, electron domains orient themselves to ________________
electrostatic repulsions; that is, they remain as far apart as possible.
The arrangement of electron domains around a central atom is called the
________________________; the arrangement of atoms is called the __________________.

2. The _________________ refers to the relative ability of elements to attract electrons

within a chemical bond. It _____________ as you move to the right across a period in
the periodic table and ______________ as you move down a column. When two
nonmetal atoms of different electronegativities form a covalent bond, the electrons in
the bond are not evenly shared, and the bond is __________. When two nonmetal
atoms having the same electronegativities form a covalent bond, the electrons are
shared equally, and forms a ___________ bond.

3. The ______________ of a molecule influences many of its ___________ such as

whether it will be a solid, liquid, or gas at room temperature and whether it
will mix with other compounds. Oil and water, for example, do not mix because water
is a ____________ molecule while oil is a _____________ molecule.

What I Can Do
I. Read the text below and answer the questions that follow.
Imagine eating a greasy cheeseburger with both hands and no napkins. By
the end of the meal, your hands are coated with grease and oil. If you try to wash
them with only water, they remain greasy. However, if you add a little soap, the
grease washes away. Why? As we learned
previously, water molecules are polar and
the molecules that compose grease and oil
are nonpolar. As a result, water and grease
repel each other. The molecules that
compose soap, however, have a special
structure that allows them to interact
strongly with both water and grease. One
end of a soap molecule is polar, while the
other end is nonpolar. The polar head of a Figure 8.15. Soap molecule
soap molecule strongly attracts water (Source: Tro, N. J. (2012). Introductory
Chemistry 4th ed. USA: Prentice Hall Inc.)
molecules, while the nonpolar tail strongly
attracts grease and oil molecules. Soap is a
sort of molecular liaison, one end interacting with water and the other end interacting
with grease. Soap therefore allows water and grease to mix, removing the grease from
your hands and washing it down the drain.
Consider the detergent molecule at the right.
Which end do you think is polar? Which end is
nonpolar?
How does this affect the properties of the detergent molecule?

II. Molecular Model Construction

Make a molecular model of a particular molecule of your choice. You can use
Styrofoam, clay, recycled Christmas balls, paper, or any material as atoms. You can
use sticks or drinking straws to show the chemical bonds. Do not forget to consider
the correct bond angles in making your model. Research about the properties and
uses of the molecule. Include the information you have gathered as part of the label
or information card of the molecular model. At least 4 sentences will do. You can
pass your output to the teacher by sending a clear picture of your molecular model
and a documentation of you doing the project. The following rubric will be used in
grading your work:

Criteria Unsatisfactory Below Average Very Good Excellent

(2pts) Average (6pts) (8 pts) (10 pts)
(4 pts)
Molecular Student has Student has Student has Student has Student has
Structure put together built a model the correct the correct the correct
balls and sticks that has the number of number of number of
that do not correct atoms and atoms. atoms.
represent the number of color coded Atoms are Atoms are
actual molecule atoms color them, but color coded color coded
they had coded, but they do not and and
intended in any neglected represent represent represent
way. size, bond actual relevant relevant
type and relevant sizes of sizes of
orientation sizes. The actual actual
altogether. type of bond atoms. atoms.
or the Atoms were Atoms were
spatial connected connected
orientation using using
are not clear correct correct
or not bonding bonding
represented. type (single, type (single,
double, double,
triple). triple) and
represented
the actual
orientation
of molecule
in space.
Creativity Student did not Model lacked Model was Model was Model was
add color, no color and color coded, color coded. color coded
effort was put appeal. The and has It showed and very
forth. The model was some good effort visually
model was not not unique. appeal. and has a lot appealing.
unique. Effort was of visual The student
visible. The appeal. The created a
model had model had unique
some some model with
different different many
aspects but aspects. different
was not aspects.
unique.
 Written Student did not Student Student Student Student
Work complete the completed completed completed completed
writing the writing the writing the writing the writing
assignment. assignment, assignment. assignment. assignment.
The assignment but some of It met the It met the It went
does not the length length beyond the
contain information requirement requirement length
research on the were and most and all requirement
molecule or has incorrect. It information information and
incorrect did not fulfill and and information
material. the length research research and
requirement. was correct. was correct. research
Some was correct
incorrect and data
material and filled.
research.

Assessment
Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write down your answer on a separate sheet
of paper.

1. What is a dipole moment? It is a ____________.

A. unique name for carbon-carbon compounds
B. distance between tetrahedral angles in a molecule
C. Lewis structure containing two sets of double bonds
D. measurement of the charge separation between each part of a molecule
2. Which of the following is influential in determining the polarity of a bond?
A. atomic size C. electronegativity
B. electron affinity D. ionization potential
3. What molecule has oppositely charged ends?
A. covalent B. ionic C. nonpolar D. polar
4. Which of the following pairs will form polar covalent bond?
A. Cl and Cl B. H and Cl C. H and H D. N and Cl
5. Which of the following pairs will be soluble with one another?
A. Br2 and CCl4 B. oil and water C. H2O and CCl4 D. HCl and CCl4
6. What solvent will dissolve molecular iodine (I2)?
A. water C. ethanol and water
B. ethanol D. carbon tetrachloride
7. Which of the following molecules would be most polar?
A. I2 B. H2 C. HCl D. HF
8. What molecule has a zero dipole moment?
A. CCl4 B. CHCl3 C.CH2Cl2 D. CH3Cl
9. Based on electronegativity differences, which of the following is most likely to be
ionic?
A. BaF2 B. Cl2 C. NH3 D. NO3
10. What shape could NOT be associated with a molecule of formula XY 4?
A. seesaw C. square planar
B. tetrahedral D. square pyramidal
11. Which shape could NOT be formed by a triatomic molecule?
A. bent B. linear C. non-linear D. trigonal plana
12. Which pair is INCORRECT?
A. H2S – bent C. BH3 – trigonal pyramidal
B. H2O – bent D. NH3 – trigonal pyramidal
13. Which of the following pair of molecular formula and shape is INCONSISTENT
with the VSEPR model?
A. SO2 – linear C. SO3 – trigonal planar
B. SF4 – seesaw D. SOCl2 – trigonal pyramidal
14. In the VSEPR model, the molecular shape does NOT necessarily have the same
description as the spatial arrangement of the electron-pair domains. Which molecule
is an example of this?
A. CF4 B. NH3 C. PCl5 D. SO3
15. Which pair of electron domain geometry and bond angle is INCORRECT?
A. square planar; a = 90⁰ C. trigonal planar; a = 120⁰
B. tetrahedral; a = 109.5⁰ D. trigonal pyramidal; a = 120⁰

References
Brown, T. et al. (2009). Chemistry The Central Science 11 ed. USA: Pearson Prentice Hall

Tro, N. J. (2012). Introductory Chemistry 4th ed. USA: Prentice Hall Inc.

Iqbal, A. (_____). Chemistry Multiple Choice Questions and Answers.

https://www.ranchorams.org/ourpages/auto/2017/10/23/45643616/ExamView%20-
%20Unit-3%20Chemical%20Bonding%20Practice%20Exam.pdf

https://studyres.com/doc/22900738/molecular-geometry--polarity-multiple-choice-
questions

https://home.miracosta.edu/dlr/11ex4.htm

https://wps.pearsoned.co.uk/ema_uk_he_housecroft_chemistry_4/130/33534/8584782.c
w/content/index.html

http://mrsmortonswebsite.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/8/7/12878797/molecule_model_hom
ework.pdf
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