Polarity of Ni(NH3)4Cl2

[Jaden Haskins 2E]

Hi, I was going through Dr. Lavelle's Wednesday lecture and was trying to figure out the polarity of Ni(NH3)4Cl2 (octrahedral shape) and thought that it would be non-polar because the NH3 dipoles would cancel from the 90° equatorial positions and the Cl dipoles would cancel from the 180° axial positions. Is this thinking correct? Please let me know!

[edward_brodell_2I]

I did the same thinking process, since the vertical(they don't have a horizontal) component of the dipoles are in opposite directions, they cancel.

[jessicaosuna_1F]

I think you also have to consider the degree to which the dipole forces are pulling. While the directions of the dipoles may cause it to look like they cancel, one may be pulling stronger than the other, so the dipoles on the other side just lessen the pull but don't completely cancel it and the molecule could still be polar.