Polar or non-polar molecule

[Rakhi Ratanjee 1D]

For the molecule CH2Cl2, why is the molecule polar, when the Chlorines could be next to each other or opposite each other? Can there be cis and trans variations?

[Curtis Wong 2D]

It depends on the shape of the molecule. Since the electron arrangement is 4 areas of electron density, and then 4 paired atoms, then the shape of the atom is a tetrahedral. And for a tetrahedral atom, unless all the paired atoms are the same like CH₄, then it'll most likely be polar due to the weird shape of the molecule. There will always be an axial atom that's exerting a dipole moment in a completely different direction than the pyramidal(or equatorial) ones.

[AtreyiMitra2L]

The molecule is polar because it a tetrahedral molecule. Therefore, even if in the Lewis diagram the Cl's and H's are on opposite sides of each other, they won't cancel each other out because of the molecular geometry.