Question

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) has zero net dipole moment even though it contains polar C=O bonds. Why?

पर्याय

• The linear and symmetric molecular geometry causes the bond dipoles to cancel exactly

• The carbon atom does not have a lone pair to create asymmetry

• CO₂ molecules are non-polar because carbon and oxygen have similar electronegativities

• The dipole moment is measured at a different temperature

Answer 1

CO₂ is a linear molecule with the structure O=C=O. Each C=O bond is polar (oxygen is more electronegative), but the two dipole moments point in exactly opposite directions along the linear axis. These equal and opposite bond dipoles cancel completely, resulting in zero net dipole moment. This demonstrates that polarity of bonds does not guarantee molecular polarity if the molecular geometry is symmetric.