Using the table determine the type of bond formed between carbon and oxygen in the compound, CO2, carbon dioxide. When carbon has an electronegativity of 2.55 and oxygen has an electronegativity of 3.44.

Question

In this question we are not considering the structure of CO2.

Answer 1

To determine the type of bond formed between carbon and oxygen in carbon dioxide (CO2), we can examine the difference in electronegativity between the two atoms.

The electronegativity values are:

• Carbon (C): 2.55
• Oxygen (O): 3.44

The difference in electronegativity (ΔEN) can be calculated as follows:

ΔEN = |Electronegativity of O - Electronegativity of C|
ΔEN = |3.44 - 2.55|
ΔEN = 0.89

Now, we can classify the bond type based on the electronegativity difference:

• If ΔEN < 0.5: Nonpolar covalent bond
• If 0.5 ≤ ΔEN < 1.7: Polar covalent bond
• If ΔEN ≥ 1.7: Ionic bond

Since the calculated ΔEN of 0.89 falls within the range of 0.5 to 1.7, the bond between carbon and oxygen in CO2 is classified as a polar covalent bond.