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Chemical Bonding

II:
Bond Polarity &
Formal Charge
• The result of a method of electron
bookkeeping that tells whether an atom in a
molecule has gained or lost electrons
compared to an isolated atom.

• Formal charge = # valence electrons


(in free atom) – (# bonds + #
electrons as lone pairs)
Formal Charge
• For molecules and polyatomic ions
that exceed the octet there are
several different structures.
• Use charges on atoms to help
decide which.
• Trying to use the oxidation numbers
to put charges on atoms in
molecules doesn’t work.
Formal Charge
• The difference between the number
of valence electrons on the free atom
and that assigned in the molecule or
ion.
• We count half the electrons in each
bond as “belonging” to the atom.
• Molecules try to achieve as low a
formal charge as possible.
• Negative formal charges should be
on electronegative elements.
Polar Covalent Bonds
and Electronegativity
•Polar bonds are bonds where the
electron density is not shared equally
between the two bonded atoms.

•In polar bonds there is a positive and a


negative end to the bond.
Electronegativity Bond

Ionic Character increases

Covalent Character
difference Type

decreases
Zero Covalent

Polar
Intermediate
Covalent

Large Ionic
Dipole Moments
• A molecule with a center of negative
charge and a center of positive
charge is dipolar (two poles),
• or has a dipole moment.
• Center of charge doesn’t have to be
on an atom.
• Will line up in the presence of an
electric field.
How It is drawn

δ + δ -

H-F
+

δ
+
H
δ -

H-F

δ -
δ
-
-F

δ +
F
H-
δ +

H δ -
δ +
- F
H-
F δ
+
δ
-
δ

F
+
H
δ +
H-F

-
-
δ
-

δ
-

H
F

+
δ -

δ
-
Bond Polarity

NaCl HCl Cl-Cl


Resonance
• Sometimes there is more than one
valid structure for an molecule or ion.
• NO -
3
• Use double arrows to indicate it is the
“average” of the structures.
• It doesn’t switch between them.
• NO2-
• Localized electron model is based on
pairs of electrons, doesn’t deal with
odd numbers.
Resonance
• In some Lewis structures, the multiple
bonds can be written in several
equivalent locations. All structures
have the exact same energy. Which
is the correct Lewis structure??

• Answer : None alone are correct –


the true molecule is a hybrid of the
possible structures. The electrons are
delocalized.
Definitions
• Sigma bond • Pi bond
• the first bond to • second or third
form between bond to form
any two atoms between two
• forms between atoms
atoms • forms above
and below
plane of the
molecule

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