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Is SO2 polar are nonpolar? When we look at the Lewis structure
it looks like its symmetrical on the left and the right.
But when we look at the top and the bottom in the molecule we have this lone
pair of electrons here
but there's nothing on the side. So it's not symmetrical in that sense.
That makes us think it's probably going to be a polar molecule.
But let's look at the actual three-dimensional structure for SO2.
So when we look at the three-dimensional structure for SO2.
The sulfur is yellow, the oxygens are red, we can see the double bond there between
them
we can see that the molecules bent, it's not a straight molecule.
So SO2 is a bent molecule.
That tells us a lot about polarity. And don't forget those two
valence electrons that we're on the top the structure. They're still there.
Looking at the SO2 molecule
we can look at the molecular surface, the negative and the positive.
We do that we'll see that we have actually
a red area that's more positive and a blue area, in the picture,
that's a little more negative. And that tells us we have two poles.
That makes SO2 polar molecule. This is Dr. B.,
and thanks for watching.