Is Carbon Tetrachloride (CCl₄) Polar or Nonpolar?

Is Carbon Tetrachloride (CCl₄) polar or nonpolar?

CCl₄ has four polar C–Cl bonds (ΔEN = 0.61), but the perfect tetrahedral symmetry cancels all dipoles. This is the classic "polar bonds, nonpolar molecule" example.

FormulaCCl₄
PolarityNonpolar
Molecular GeometryTetrahedral
C–Cl BondΔEN = 0.61 (polar)
Net DipoleNo - dipoles cancel

Bond Dipoles

Each C–Cl bond has ΔEN = 0.61 (Cl = 3.16, C = 2.55). These are moderately polar bonds - more polar than C–H but less than O–H.

Molecular Shape & Dipole Cancellation

CCl₄ has perfect tetrahedral geometry. All four bonds are identical and point to the corners of a regular tetrahedron, just like methane.

Net Dipole Moment

The four C–Cl dipoles cancel exactly due to tetrahedral symmetry. CCl₄ is nonpolar despite having polar bonds - it is immiscible with water.

See bond dipoles, partial charges, and net dipole moments on interactive 3D molecules.

Visualize Carbon Tetrachloride's Polarity in 3D

Related Topics

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