March 19, 2024, 12:20:34 AM
Forum Rules: Read This Before Posting


Topic: Ionic / Polar Covalent / Non Polar  (Read 15119 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline davedicky

  • Very New Member
  • *
  • Posts: 2
  • Mole Snacks: +0/-0
Ionic / Polar Covalent / Non Polar
« on: July 29, 2014, 06:58:35 PM »
Hey guys,
First time posting here, please let me know if it's in the wrong subforum.
This is a question from an exam I printed out that my University supplied.
I'm a tad confused by it, and am seeking clarification.

9, b: Which of the following bonds is ionic, which is polar covalent and which is nonpolar.

Cl-Cl
H-Cl
O-Cl

Cl-Cl has an electronegative difference of 0, so it is non polar.
H-Cl has an electronegative difference of 0.96.
O-Cl has an electronegative difference of 0.28.

None of these differences are ionic bonds. They all demonstrate mainly nonpolar bonds to my understanding.
Out of the three options, H-Cl is more polar than the rest, so that would be my choice of a polar covalent molecule.

An ionic bond is between a non-metal and a metal.
O-Cl are both non metals, and only have an electronegative difference of 0.28 (All of them are non-metals = None of them are ionic*)

Would the answer be that there are 2 Polar Covalent molecules (as O-Cl isn't entirely non-polar) and 1 Non-Polar molecule?

Offline Corribus

  • Chemist
  • Sr. Member
  • *
  • Posts: 3469
  • Mole Snacks: +526/-23
  • Gender: Male
  • A lover of spectroscopy and chocolate.
Re: Ionic / Polar Covalent / Non Polar
« Reply #1 on: July 29, 2014, 07:58:56 PM »
Probably more suitable for general chemistry forum.

You are correct that Cl-Cl would form a nonpolar covalent bond. I guess strictly speaking you're right about the other two as well. But still you seem to have some confusion about bond what polarity is because of where you said "they all demonstrate mainly nonpolar bonds". So, what would be your definition of a polar bond?

(Hydrogen is often considered to be a metal for many purposes, by the way, and I wouldn't get too caught up in metals vs. nonmetals for questions like this. There are better ways to think about it.)
What men are poets who can speak of Jupiter if he were like a man, but if he is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia must be silent?  - Richard P. Feynman

Offline Borek

  • Mr. pH
  • Administrator
  • Deity Member
  • *
  • Posts: 27624
  • Mole Snacks: +1799/-410
  • Gender: Male
  • I am known to be occasionally wrong.
    • Chembuddy
Re: Ionic / Polar Covalent / Non Polar
« Reply #2 on: July 30, 2014, 03:10:29 AM »
Note that the question asks about bonds, not about molecules.

Would the answer be that there are 2 Polar Covalent molecules (as O-Cl isn't entirely non-polar) and 1 Non-Polar molecule?

That would mean you have three molecules in the question - as far as I can tell, you don't. HCl and Cl2 are molecules, but I have never seen OCl - that is, OCl- anion exists, but not a neutral OCl.
ChemBuddy chemical calculators - stoichiometry, pH, concentration, buffer preparation, titrations.info

Offline Pop

  • Very New Member
  • *
  • Posts: 1
  • Mole Snacks: +0/-0
Re: Ionic / Polar Covalent / Non Polar
« Reply #3 on: August 02, 2014, 07:43:55 AM »
Cl-Cl is nonpolar
H-Cl is ionic bond because of big electronegative difference
O-Cl is covalent bond and it is also polar, because O is more electronegative
Just a note, this is question about bonds, it does not have to be molecule, it can be a part of a molecule.

Sponsored Links