Home › NY Regents Chemistry › Chemistry › Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry › In a molecule of hydrogen chloride, which atom c…
In a molecule of hydrogen chloride, which atom carries the partial negative charge?
AThe hydrogen atom
BThe chlorine atom
CNeither atom does
DBoth atoms do
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. The chlorine atom
1. Chlorine attracts bonding electrons more strongly than hydrogen does.
2. The shared pair therefore spends more time near the chlorine nucleus.
3. Extra electron density on chlorine gives it the partial negative charge.
4. Hydrogen is left short of electron density, so it takes the partial positive charge.
_Source: OpenStax Chemistry (CC BY 4.0), Chs 7 and 17, section 7.2 Covalent Bonding_
Related questions
An ionic formula such as Al2O3 does not tell you:For p-block elements forming cations, electrons are removed from which orbitals first?In a chlorine molecule, each chlorine atom ends up surrounded by how many electrons in totA monatomic anion typically forms when a nonmetal atom gains enough electrons to reach:The calcium ion Ca2+ is isoelectronic with which noble gas?When transition metals ionise, the electrons removed first come from the:Breaking the bonds in one mole of hydrogen molecules requires about:Most covalent compounds are poor conductors of electricity because they are: