Which compound is most polar in nature?

Question

a) CO2
b) H2O
c) F2
d) NaCl

Answer 1

F2 is linear - so non polar

NaCl is linear so non polar

CO2 is linear so non polar

H20 is very polar

If you know how to draw Lewis Dot structures you could see how these are polar or non polar. Since Oxygen in H2O has a "lone pair" it is not linear because the electronegativity of the lone pair pushes the geometry into a triangular shape so has a positive end (the hydrogens are electropositive) and negative end.

Answer 2

I believe you are missing a point here. While it is true that H2O is polar, NaCl is an ionic crystal and VERY polar, at least in my book. I see a lot of answers on the Internet (both ways) but it must be polar since it is an ionic compound.