The covalent bonds can be polar or nonpolar depending upon the various factors. The polarity of a molecule is decided by the type of bonding it involves across its atoms. The dipole across the C=O bonds is non zero and originates towards oxygen, but the equal and opposite dipoles cancel out each other resulting in a nonpolar molecule. And oxygen being more electronegative pulls the bonded electron pair slightly more towards its side and gains partial negative charge and carbon gains partial positive charge. The oxygen atoms lie at both sides of the carbon atom. Oxygen needs 2 electrons to complete its octet and carbon needs 4 for the same.Īs a result, two oxygen atoms and carbon atom share two electrons of each other forming double bonds across carbon and oxygen atoms and fills their octet to get stabilized. The valence electrons of oxygen are 6 and that of carbon is 4. The symmetrical geometry (linear) of the CO2 molecule cancels out the polarity of the C=O polar bonds due to which net dipole of the molecule becomes zero. The molecule of CO2 is polar because of the following reason. The CO2 molecule is nonpolar and its dipole also turns out to be 0 D.Ĭonclusion Why is CO2 a Nonpolar Molecule? The difference between the electronegativity of both atoms is sufficient to have polarity across C=O bonds in the CO2 molecule.īut due to the symmetry of the molecule ie linear structure, both C=O bonds lie opposite to each other, and polarity of both gets canceled by each other. The electronegativity of carbon is 2.55 and that of oxygen is 3.44. The shape of the molecule is linear as both oxygen atoms are opposite to each other.
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