The electronegativity difference between and is greater than that between and , yet the dipole moment of (1.5 D) is larger than that of (0.2 D). This is because:
in as well as in the atomic dipole and bond dipole are in the same direction
in the atomic dipole and bond dipole are in the same direction whereas in these are in opposite directions
in as well as the atomic dipole and bond dipole are in opposite directions
in the atomic dipole and bond dipole are in the opposite directions whereas in these are in the same directions
In , nitrogen is more electronegative than hydrogen, so the individual bond dipoles point towards the nitrogen atom. The orbital (atomic) dipole due to the lone pair on nitrogen also points in the same direction, adding to the resultant bond dipole. In contrast, in , fluorine is more electronegative than nitrogen, so the bond dipoles point towards the fluorine atoms. The orbital dipole due to the lone pair points in the opposite direction, partially cancelling the resultant bond dipole and leading to a much lower net dipole moment for .
Join thousands of students and practice with AI-generated mock tests.