Which molecule or compound below contains a polar covalent bond?
Student Response
A. NCl3
B. C2H4
C. ZnS
D. AgCl
E. LiI
Have you calculated the difference in electronegativity in the molecules?
I AM NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT I SHOULD DO
To determine which molecule or compound contains a polar covalent bond, we need to understand what a polar covalent bond is. A polar covalent bond occurs when two atoms share electrons unequally. This means that one atom has a slightly negative charge, while the other has a slightly positive charge.
Now, let's analyze each option:
A. NCl3: Nitrogen (N) and chlorine (Cl) are both highly electronegative atoms. Chlorine is more electronegative than nitrogen, so the electrons are pulled more towards the chlorine atom, resulting in a polar covalent bond. Therefore, option A contains a polar covalent bond.
B. C2H4: Carbon (C) and hydrogen (H) are relatively similar in terms of electronegativity. They share electrons almost equally, so there is no significant difference in electron distribution. Thus, option B does not contain a polar covalent bond.
C. ZnS: Zinc (Zn) is a metal, while sulfur (S) is a nonmetal. Metal-nonmetal compounds typically have ionic bonds rather than covalent bonds. Therefore, option C does not contain a polar covalent bond.
D. AgCl: Silver (Ag) is a metal, and chlorine (Cl) is a nonmetal. Similar to option C, option D likely contains an ionic bond rather than a polar covalent bond.
E. LiI: Lithium (Li) is a metal, and iodine (I) is a nonmetal. Like option C and D, option E likely contains an ionic bond rather than a polar covalent bond.
From the analysis above, the molecule that contains a polar covalent bond is option A: NCl3.