Water has a bent molecular shape, but what if water had a linear molecular shape would the molecule be polar or non-polar? Explain
This is what I know pls correct me if I'm wrong. It would be nonpolar because it is symmetric so the charge is equally distributed.
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Your initial understanding is partially correct. If water had a linear molecular shape, the molecule would indeed be non-polar. However, the reason for this is not exactly due to the symmetry of the molecule.
In a water molecule, the oxygen atom is more electronegative than the hydrogen atoms. This results in the oxygen atom attracting the shared electrons towards itself, creating a partial negative charge (δ-) on the oxygen atom and partial positive charges (δ+) on the hydrogen atoms. These partial charges give water its polarity.
In a bent molecular shape, like the one observed in water, the bond dipoles (the partial positive and negative charges within the individual bonds) do not cancel each other out, creating a net molecular dipole. This means that water is a polar molecule with an overall dipole moment.
On the other hand, if water had a linear molecular shape, the bond dipoles would cancel each other out, resulting in a non-polar molecule. This is because the two hydrogen atoms would be arranged in an opposite direction from the oxygen atom, causing the partial positive and negative charges to balance each other.
Therefore, if water had a linear molecular shape, it would indeed be non-polar due to the cancellation of the bond dipoles, rather than simply because of its symmetry.