Symmetrical Molecules

[Tara Foroohar 3K]

Hi guys! Will there ever be a scenario in which the molecule is symmetrical but polar? Or are all symmetrical molecules nonpolar

[Alex Kashou]

Yes; for example, CH2Cl is symmetrical about the C but the Cl is more electronegative resulting in a greater pull towards that location of the symmetrical shape. Therefore, the molecule is polar because there is distinct dipole moment on one side of the molecule.

[Aijun Zhang 1D]

For symmetrical molecules, the polar effect can be canceled. So they are non polar molecules.
Though some molecules will have polar bonds, but if the whole molecule is symmetrical, the polar effect can be canceled out. The polar molecule such as water has an uneven distribution of electron density.

[Nicole Nikolov 1K]

If a molecule is completely symmetrical, then it will be nonpolar. However, when it comes to 3D molecules and more complex molecules it can get a bit more tricky. Even if these molecules look symmetrical at first glance based on their shape, you have to make sure that all of the dipole moments between each of the molecules also cancel.