lone pairs -polar molecule

[Bethany Yang 2E]

If any of the elements within the atom have a lone pair, could you automatically assume that it is a polar molecule?

[Yu Jin Kwon 3L]

Hi Bethany! I would say no because if you have a diatomic molecule such as Br2, in which each Br atom has 3 lone pairs, but it is still a nonpolar molecule. Rather than just looking for lone pairs, I would say to look at the difference in electronegativity to determine polarity :)

[Ria Nawathe 1C]

I don’t think you can assume that any molecule with a central atom that has lone pairs is polar. For example, XeF2 is non polar, and it has 3 lone pairs on the central atom. The lone pairs are arranged at 120 degrees to each other and the F-Xe-F bond angle is 180 degrees, so there is a 0 net dipole moment due to this symmetry.

[105618850]

I wouldn't say that would be the case for every molecule. For example, for compounds like H2, Cl2, etc. are all considered non polar.

[Sera Aintablian 2E]

No, some molecules, such as diatomic molecules, are nonpolar.

[Madeline Ogden 3B]

You cannot assume this because of the fact that if the molecule is symmetrical the charges might cancel out despite the atoms having lone pairs.

[Sabrina Galvan 3J]

In some molecules, the presence of a lone pair causes the molecule to lose its symmetry, therefore its dipoles would not cancel out causing it to be a polar molecule. But as many have mentioned, lone pairs are not determinedly a factor of polar molecules. It is best to look at how the lone pairs are a factor in molecule shape to determine its polarity.

[David Liu 1E]

I would definitely first look at the bond angles, because not every molecule with lone pairs would be polar as they could be evenly spaced from each other

[Jeremy Wei 2C]

Hi, I wouldn't assume that if a molecule has lone pairs it would be polar, since for example diatomic molecules do have lone pairs but are nonpolar because the dipole moments cancel out.

[alexandralopez 3F]

i dont think that would be accurate. I would say just look at the geometry of the molecule

[Algernon Jackson 2l]

No because there is still a possibility that they might be non-polar.

[Baffour Adusei 1L]

Lone pairs are not a deciding factor in whether a molecule is polar or not, so I would just make sure to look at all the aspects of each structure.

[Shreya Thyagarajan Dis1A]

When deciding if something is polar or not, I think finding the electronegativity will be the best way to figure it out. I don't think lone pairs are enough to determine polarity.

[Janys Li - 1L]

Hi!
The polarity of the molecule depends on the difference in electronegativities and the uneven distribution of electrons in a molecule. Lone pairs do not necessarily mean polarity, but sometimes uneven polar bonds can lead to polarity of the molecules.

[Peter Fernandez 2K]

The existence of lone pairs does not always indicate if a covalent bond will be polar, but a difference in electronegativities between the two atoms in the covalent bond can indicate if it is polar!

[Alice Guey 1B]

Many of the above replies provide good examples of nonpolar molecules with lone pairs. To determine the polarity of a molecule, you would have to look at the arrangement of the molecule. If a molecule has lone pairs that cancel out and do not create molecular dipoles, then the molecule will be nonpolar.