Does PCl5 have a dipole moment?

Understand the Problem

The question is asking whether phosphorus pentachloride (PCl5) possesses a dipole moment, which relates to its molecular structure and symmetry. This involves understanding the electronegativity differences between phosphorus and chlorine and how the symmetry of the molecule affects its polarity.

Answer

PCl5 does not have a dipole moment.

The final answer is PCl5 does not have a dipole moment.

Answer for screen readers

The final answer is PCl5 does not have a dipole moment.

More Information

The molecule PCl5 has a trigonal bipyramidal geometry where the individual bond dipoles cancel each other out due to the symmetric arrangement of P-Cl bonds, resulting in a net dipole moment of zero.

Tips

A common mistake is not considering the molecular geometry and the vector nature of dipole moments when determining the overall dipole moment.

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