CCl4 polarity

[Emily_Stenzler_2H]

Can someone explain why CCl4 would be polar? When we're determining dipole moments, we're thinking about how the outer atoms are affecting the center atom, correct? Are all of the Cls going to have a negative partial charge because they are pulling electrons from C? (I am not sure if I am going about this with the right thinking so please let me know!)

[Wil Chai 3D]

CCl4 is actually nonpolar, I think. Each C-Cl bond is a polar bond, but because the tetrahedral geometry is shaped in a way that each dipole cancels, the molecule is nonpolar overall. Here is a helpful picture: https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-2 ... a72d7.webp

Hope this make sense!

[Pranav Daggubati 3C]

CCl4 is actually nonpolar, but it has 4 dipole moments in the molecule. These dipole moments cancel out, resulting in a nonpolar molecule.