Why is ammonia polar?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for an explanation of the polarity of ammonia, which involves its molecular structure and the distribution of electron density. Ammonia (NH3) has a trigonal pyramidal shape and a significant difference in electronegativity between nitrogen and hydrogen, leading to a net dipole moment that makes it polar.
Answer
Ammonia is polar due to its lone pair of electrons on nitrogen and the dipole moment.
The final answer is that ammonia is polar due to the presence of a lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom, creating a region of negative charge, while the hydrogen atoms have a slightly positive charge, resulting in a dipole moment.
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is that ammonia is polar due to the presence of a lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom, creating a region of negative charge, while the hydrogen atoms have a slightly positive charge, resulting in a dipole moment.
More Information
Ammonia (NH3) has a trigonal pyramidal shape which contributes to its polarity. The nitrogen atom's higher electronegativity compared to hydrogen creates partial charges, and the lone pair creates an asymmetrical charge distribution.
Sources
- Is ammonia a polar or non-polar molecule? - CK-12 - ck12.org
- Why is ammonia a polar molecule? - Quora - quora.com
- Polarity of NH3? - CHEMISTRY COMMUNITY - Laurence Lavelle - lavelle.chem.ucla.edu
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