Is BeCl2 Polar or Nonpolar?
Beryllium chloride (BeCl2) is a chemical compound with the formula BeCl2. It is a colorless, odorless, and toxic gas at room temperature. BeCl2 is a covalent compound, meaning that the Be and Cl atoms share electrons to form chemical bonds.
Polarity
Polarity is a property of molecules that describes the distribution of electrical charge. Polar molecules have a net dipole moment, which is a measure of the separation of positive and negative charge. Nonpolar molecules do not have a net dipole moment.
Electronegativity
Electronegativity is a measure of an atom’s ability to attract electrons. Atoms with high electronegativity tend to pull electrons away from atoms with low electronegativity.
The Lewis Structure of BeCl2
The Lewis structure of BeCl2 is shown below.
Be Cl Cl The Be atom has four valence electrons, and each Cl atom has seven valence electrons. In order to satisfy the octet rule, the Be atom shares its four valence electrons with two Cl atoms. This forms two covalent bonds between the Be atom and each Cl atom.
The Electronegativity Difference
The electronegativity of Be is 1.57, and the electronegativity of Cl is 3.16. The difference in electronegativity between Be and Cl is 1.59. This difference is greater than 0.4, but less than 2.0.
Polarity of BeCl2
Based on the electronegativity difference, the Be-Cl bond is polar. However, the overall polarity of the BeCl2 molecule is nonpolar. This is because the BeCl2 molecule has a linear shape with a bond angle of 180 degrees.
The two Cl atoms are located on opposite sides of the Be atom. This means that the partial positive charge on one Cl atom is canceled out by the partial negative charge on the other Cl atom. As a result, the BeCl2 molecule has no net dipole moment.
Conclusion
BeCl2 is a nonpolar molecule. This is because the BeCl2 molecule has a linear shape with a bond angle of 180 degrees. The two Cl atoms are located on opposite sides of the Be atom, which cancels out the partial positive and negative charges on the molecule.
Additional Questions
- What is the molecular geometry of BeCl2?
The molecular geometry of BeCl2 is linear. This means that the Be atom is located in the center of the molecule, and the two Cl atoms are located on opposite sides of the Be atom.
- What is the hybridization of the Be atom in BeCl2?
The hybridization of the Be atom in BeCl2 is sp. This means that the Be atom has one s orbital and one p orbital that are hybridized to form two sp orbitals.
- What is the bond angle of BeCl2?
The bond angle of BeCl2 is 180 degrees. This is because the two Cl atoms are located on opposite sides of the Be atom.
- What is the dipole moment of BeCl2?
The dipole moment of BeCl2 is 0 D. This is because the two Cl atoms are located on opposite sides of the Be atom, which cancels out the partial positive and negative charges on the molecule.
