What is the polarity of PF3?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the polarity of the molecule phosphorus trifluoride (PF3). This involves understanding the molecular geometry and the electronegativity differences between phosphorus and fluorine atoms to determine if the molecule is polar or nonpolar.
Answer
polar
The final answer is polar
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is polar
More Information
Phosphorus trifluoride (PF3) is a polar molecule because it has a trigonal pyramidal shape with a lone pair of electrons on the phosphorus atom. This creates a dipole moment where the polarities of the P-F bonds do not cancel out.
Tips
A common mistake is assuming that PF3 is nonpolar because of the symmetric nature of some molecules; however, the lone pair on the phosphorus causes an asymmetry.
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