Question
Which is classified as nonpolar covalent? a. The H-I bond in HI b. the H-S bond in H2S
c. the P-Cl bond in PCl3 d. the N-Cl bond in NCl3 e. the N-H bond in NH3
c. the P-Cl bond in PCl3 d. the N-Cl bond in NCl3 e. the N-H bond in NH3
Answers
GPT-4o mini
To determine which of these bonds is classified as nonpolar covalent, we should consider the electronegativity differences between the atoms involved in each bond:
a. **H-I bond in HI**: The electronegativity difference between H (2.1) and I (2.5) is 0.4, which indicates a polar covalent bond.
b. **H-S bond in H2S**: The electronegativity difference between H (2.1) and S (2.5) is 0.4, indicating a polar covalent bond.
c. **P-Cl bond in PCl3**: The electronegativity difference between P (2.1) and Cl (3.0) is 0.9, indicating a polar covalent bond.
d. **N-Cl bond in NCl3**: The electronegativity difference between N (3.0) and Cl (3.0) is 0, indicating a nonpolar covalent bond (but this scenario is more nuanced since typical covalent bonds involve some degree of electronegativity).
e. **N-H bond in NH3**: The electronegativity difference between N (3.0) and H (2.1) is 0.9, indicating a polar covalent bond.
None of the bonds listed are truly "nonpolar" in the strictest chemical sense as the N-Cl bond shows no electronegativity difference, but it's mainly because these are viewed more as covalent in nature. Typically, truly nonpolar bonds are those between identical atoms. Therefore, if we follow the more conventional understanding of polarity in bonds, option d (the N-Cl bond in NCl3) would be the closest to being classified as nonpolar due to the identical electronegativity.
In summary, option d (the N-Cl bond in NCl3) is the best candidate among the provided options, despite the ambiguity of truly characterizing it as "nonpolar."
a. **H-I bond in HI**: The electronegativity difference between H (2.1) and I (2.5) is 0.4, which indicates a polar covalent bond.
b. **H-S bond in H2S**: The electronegativity difference between H (2.1) and S (2.5) is 0.4, indicating a polar covalent bond.
c. **P-Cl bond in PCl3**: The electronegativity difference between P (2.1) and Cl (3.0) is 0.9, indicating a polar covalent bond.
d. **N-Cl bond in NCl3**: The electronegativity difference between N (3.0) and Cl (3.0) is 0, indicating a nonpolar covalent bond (but this scenario is more nuanced since typical covalent bonds involve some degree of electronegativity).
e. **N-H bond in NH3**: The electronegativity difference between N (3.0) and H (2.1) is 0.9, indicating a polar covalent bond.
None of the bonds listed are truly "nonpolar" in the strictest chemical sense as the N-Cl bond shows no electronegativity difference, but it's mainly because these are viewed more as covalent in nature. Typically, truly nonpolar bonds are those between identical atoms. Therefore, if we follow the more conventional understanding of polarity in bonds, option d (the N-Cl bond in NCl3) would be the closest to being classified as nonpolar due to the identical electronegativity.
In summary, option d (the N-Cl bond in NCl3) is the best candidate among the provided options, despite the ambiguity of truly characterizing it as "nonpolar."