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NEET CHEMISTRYMedium

The electronegativity difference between N\text{N} and F\text{F} is greater than that between N\text{N} and H\text{H}, yet the dipole moment of NH3\text{NH}_3 (1.5 D) is larger than that of NF3\text{NF}_3 (0.2 D). This is because:

A

in NH3\text{NH}_3 as well as in NF3\text{NF}_3 the atomic dipole and bond dipole are in the same direction

B

in NH3\text{NH}_3 the atomic dipole and bond dipole are in the same direction whereas in NF3\text{NF}_3 these are in opposite directions

C

in NH3\text{NH}_3 as well as NF3\text{NF}_3 the atomic dipole and bond dipole are in opposite directions

D

in NH3\text{NH}_3 the atomic dipole and bond dipole are in the opposite directions whereas in NF3\text{NF}_3 these are in the same directions

Step-by-Step Solution

In NH3\text{NH}_3, nitrogen is more electronegative than hydrogen, so the individual N-H\text{N-H} 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 NF3\text{NF}_3, fluorine is more electronegative than nitrogen, so the N-F\text{N-F} 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 NF3\text{NF}_3.

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