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How are polar and nonpolar bonds alike?

Explain why co2 and ccl4 are both nonpolar even though they contain polar bonds?

  • Answer:

    CO2 is a linear molecule. pic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide O = C = O C=O bonds are polar, but polarity is the uneven distribution of charge ACROSS A MOLECULE, when there is one side slightly negative, and then the other side is slightly negative, the whole molecule is slightly negative, so it's not polar. in other words, the centre of the negative charge is in the same place as the centre of positive charge, and they cancel each other out. same story for CCl4, even tho it's not linear, the chlorines are mirror imaged on the other side of the carbon, just like the oxygen is mirror imaged on the other side of the carbon in CO2. the charges are cancelled out, same story for both molecules. hope i explained it well enough, and you understood it.

tasha at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

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CO2 is a linear molecule. pic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide O = C = O C=O bonds are polar, but polarity is the uneven distribution of charge ACROSS A MOLECULE, when there is one side slightly negative, and then the other side is slightly negative, the whole molecule is slightly negative, so it's not polar. in other words, the centre of the negative charge is in the same place as the centre of positive charge, and they cancel each other out. same story for CCl4, even tho it's not linear, the chlorines are mirror imaged on the other side of the carbon, just like the oxygen is mirror imaged on the other side of the carbon in CO2. the charges are cancelled out, same story for both molecules. hope i explained it well enough, and you understood it.

Nigel

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