The bond that HCl forms is called polar covalent. Explain why it is each of these: polar and covalent
The bond formed between hydrogen (H) and chlorine (Cl) in HCl is called a polar covalent bond because of the difference in electronegativity between the two atoms.
Polar: Electronegativity is a measure of an atom's ability to attract electrons towards itself in a chemical bond. Chlorine has a higher electronegativity value compared to hydrogen, meaning it has a greater pull on the shared electrons in the bond. As a result, chlorine will have a partial negative charge (δ-) because it attracts the electrons closer to itself, while hydrogen will have a partial positive charge (δ+). This uneven distribution of charges creates a dipole moment, making the bond polar.
Covalent: Covalent bonds occur when two nonmetal atoms share electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration. In HCl, hydrogen needs one more electron to have a stable full outer shell, while chlorine requires one more electron to complete its outer shell. To satisfy this, hydrogen and chlorine share one electron each to form a bond. This sharing of electrons between hydrogen and chlorine atoms is what makes the bond covalent.
Overall, the HCl bond is called polar covalent due to the unequal sharing of electrons (polar) and the electron sharing that occurs between the hydrogen and chlorine atoms (covalent).
To understand why the bond formed between hydrogen chloride (HCl) is both polar and covalent, we first need to understand what these terms mean.
A covalent bond is formed when two atoms share a pair of electrons. In a covalent bond, the electrons are not transferred from one atom to another, as is the case in ionic bonds. Instead, the electrons are shared between the atoms.
In the case of HCl, hydrogen and chlorine atoms come together to form a bond. Chlorine has seven valence electrons and needs one more electron to complete its octet (stable configuration). Hydrogen has one valence electron and desires to gain one more electron to achieve a stable configuration.
To form a covalent bond, hydrogen and chlorine share an electron pair. Each atom contributes one electron to the shared pair, allowing for a "shared" electron cloud between the hydrogen and chlorine atoms.
Now, let's consider the polarity of the HCl molecule. Polar molecules occur when there is an uneven distribution of electrons due to differences in electronegativity between the atoms involved in the bond.
Electronegativity is a measure of an atom's attraction for electrons in a bond. In the case of HCl, chlorine is more electronegative than hydrogen. Chlorine attracts the shared electron pair more strongly due to its higher electronegativity, creating a slight negative charge around the chlorine atom and a slight positive charge around the hydrogen atom. This charge separation results in a polar covalent bond.
Overall, the bond in HCl is polar covalent because there is a sharing of electrons (covalent) between hydrogen and chlorine, but the electrons are unevenly distributed due to the difference in electronegativity between the atoms (polar).
The bond formed between hydrogen (H) and chlorine (Cl) in HCl is called a polar covalent bond. To understand why it is considered both polar and covalent, let's break down these terms:
1. Covalent Bond: A covalent bond is a type of chemical bond formed when two atoms share electrons. In the case of HCl, a covalent bond is formed when the hydrogen atom shares its electron with the chlorine atom, and both atoms contribute one electron to form a shared electron pair.
2. Polar Bond: A polar bond occurs when the electrons in a covalent bond are not shared equally between the two atoms involved. Instead, one atom is more electronegative (electron-attracting) than the other, causing an imbalance in electron distribution. In the case of HCl, chlorine is more electronegative than hydrogen and attracts the shared electron pair more strongly. This unequal sharing of electrons results in a partial negative charge (δ-) on the chlorine atom and a partial positive charge (δ+) on the hydrogen atom, creating a polarity in the bond.
The polar covalent nature of the bond in HCl arises from the electronegativity difference between hydrogen and chlorine. Chlorine's higher electronegativity causes a greater attraction for the shared electron pair, giving it a partial negative charge. Conversely, hydrogen has a partial positive charge due to the electron density being pulled toward chlorine. Therefore, HCl is considered a polar covalent compound because it has a covalent bond where the electrons are unequally shared, resulting in partial positive and negative charges on the respective atoms.