Carbon monoxide, CO, has a very small dipole moment. Which is the best explanation for this observat โ Bonding Chemistry Question
Question
Carbon monoxide, CO, has a very small dipole moment. Which is the best explanation for this observation?
A.
The carbon-oxygen ฯ bonds are polarized in the opposite direction from the carbon-oxygen ฯ bonds, so the bond dipoles tend to cancel each other out.
B.โ Correct
Carbon and oxygen each have the same number of lone pairs despite the fact that carbon has fewer valence electrons than oxygen, partially canceling the bond dipoles.
C.
Neither carbon nor oxygen has a formal charge in the Lewis structure of CO, giving an electron distribution that is minimally asymmetric.
D.
Carbon is sp-hybridized in CO, making it more electronegative than a typical carbon atom.
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