A polar molecule such as carbon monoxide experiences which extra force that nitrogen does not?
ADipole attraction
BMetallic bonding
CIonic attraction
DNuclear binding
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Dipole attraction
1. Both molecules are diatomic and of similar size, so dispersion alone would not separate them.
2. Because carbon monoxide is a polar molecule, it experiences dipole-dipole attractions.
3. Because nitrogen is nonpolar, its molecules cannot exhibit dipole-dipole attractions.
4. That extra attraction raises carbon monoxide's boiling point.
_Source: OpenStax Chemistry 2e (CC BY 4.0), Ch 10 'Liquids and Solids', sections 10.1-10.6_
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