QQuestionChemistry
QuestionChemistry
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Complete the paragraph to describe the characteristics of a sulfur dichloride (SCl2) molecule. The Lewis structure and table of electronegativities are given.
An SCl^2 molecule has ____ bonds and a ____ molecular shape. As a result, an SCl^2 molecule is ____."
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Answer
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Step 1: Determine the number of bonds in a SCl^2 molecule.
In a SCl^2 molecule, sulfur (S) forms two covalent bonds with chlorine (Cl) atoms. This is because sulfur has 6 electrons in its outermost shell and needs 2 more electrons to complete the octet. Each chlorine atom also needs 1 more electron to complete its octet, so one electron from sulfur and one electron from each chlorine atom form a pair of shared electrons in each bond.
Final Answer
Step 2: Determine the molecular shape of a SCl^2 molecule. The molecular shape of a molecule can be determined by counting the number of electron groups (bonds and lone pairs) around the central atom and referring to the Valence Shell Electron Pair Repulsion (VSEPR) theory. In a SCl^2 molecule, there are 3 electron groups around the central sulfur atom: two bonding pairs and one lone pair. According to VSEPR theory, the repulsion between these electron groups results in a bent molecular shape with an angle close to 120 degrees between the bonding pairs. Step 3: Describe the polarity of a SCl^2 molecule. The polarity of a molecule depends on the difference in electronegativity between the atoms and the molecular shape. Chlorine has a higher electronegativity value (3.16) than sulfur (2.58), so the S-Cl bonds are polar and there is a partial negative charge on the chlorine atoms and a partial positive charge on the sulfur atom. However, the bent molecular shape of SCl^2 results in a cancellation of the dipole moments, making the molecule nonpolar overall. Step 4: Summarize the characteristics of a SCl^2 molecule. A SCl^2 molecule has 2 bonds and a bent molecular shape. The molecular shape is due to the repulsion between the two bonding pairs and one lone pair of electrons around the central sulfur atom. Despite the polar S-Cl bonds, the overall molecule is nonpolar due to the cancellation of the dipole moments.
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