Is OF2 polar?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking whether the molecule OF2 (oxygen difluoride) has a net dipole moment, which would determine its polarity. This involves understanding the molecular geometry and electronegativity differences between oxygen and fluorine.
Answer
Yes, OF2 is polar.
The final answer is yes, OF2 is polar.
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is yes, OF2 is polar.
More Information
Oxygen difluoride (OF2) has a bent molecular geometry due to the lone pairs on the oxygen atom, leading to a net dipole moment and hence making it a polar molecule.
Tips
A common mistake is assuming that since the individual O-F bonds are polar, they might cancel each other out due to symmetry. However, due to the bent shape of OF2, the dipole moments do not cancel out.
Sources
- Molecular Geometry and Polarity - chem.libretexts.org
AI-generated content may contain errors. Please verify critical information