CHEMISTRY COMMUNITY

When drawing out the lewis structure of CBr2Cl2, I drew as tetrahedral and completed an octet for the chlorine and bromine atoms. However this molecule is polar since that the dipoles don't cancel. Why is this? Why won't the dipoles cancel?

Although it is tetrahedral, the connected atoms are not equivalent. If you look up the 3d structure of tetrahedral molecules, you will be able to see that the Br dipoles will not cancel each other out, and the Cl dipoles will not cancel each other so you are left with a net dipole which makes it polar.

Isa Samad 3I wrote:When drawing out the lewis structure of CBr2Cl2, I drew as tetrahedral and completed an octet for the chlorine and bromine atoms. However this molecule is polar since that the dipoles don't cancel. Why is this? Why won't the dipoles cancel?

In tetrahedral structures, there are four "legs" pointing outwards. However, no two of these "legs" point in directly opposite directions. I don't think tetrahedrals can be nonpolar unless each of these four "legs" or atoms have the exact same electronegativity. Because of this, CBr₂Cl₂ would end up being polar.