0 votes
28 views
ago in Chemical bonding by (139k points)
What is the dipole moment of the molecule CHCl3 and in which direction does it point?

1 Answer

0 votes
ago by (250 points)
The dipole moment of a molecule is a measure of its polarity, which is the separation of charge within the molecule. It is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction. To calculate the dipole moment, we need to consider the individual bond dipoles and their directions.CHCl3, or chloroform, is a tetrahedral molecule with a central carbon atom bonded to one hydrogen atom and three chlorine atoms. The electronegativity difference between carbon  2.55  and hydrogen  2.20  is small, so the C-H bond is considered to be nonpolar. However, the electronegativity difference between carbon and chlorine  3.16  is significant, making the C-Cl bonds polar.The three C-Cl bond dipoles are arranged symmetrically around the central carbon atom, and their vector sum determines the overall dipole moment of the molecule. Since the C-Cl bond dipoles are stronger than the C-H bond dipole, the overall dipole moment points towards the center of the three chlorine atoms.To calculate the magnitude of the dipole moment, we can use the equation: = Q * dwhere  is the dipole moment, Q is the charge difference between the atoms, and d is the distance between the atoms.However, the exact value of the dipole moment for chloroform is determined experimentally, and it is found to be approximately 1.04 D  Debye , where 1 D = 3.336  10^-30  Cm.In summary, the dipole moment of CHCl3 is approximately 1.04 D and points towards the center of the three chlorine atoms.
Welcome to Sarvan Science Q&A, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of the community.
...