Is Hydrogen Sulfide (H₂S) Polar or Nonpolar?
Is Hydrogen Sulfide (H₂S) polar or nonpolar?
H₂S has weakly polar S–H bonds (ΔEN = 0.38). Like water, the bent geometry (92.1°) prevents cancellation. However, the dipoles are much weaker than in water.
| Formula | H₂S |
| Polarity | Polar |
| Molecular Geometry | Bent |
| S–H Bond | ΔEN = 0.38 (weakly polar) |
| Net Dipole | Yes |
Bond Dipoles
Each S–H bond has ΔEN = 0.38 (S = 2.58, H = 2.20). These bonds are only weakly polar - much less than O–H bonds in water.
Molecular Shape & Dipole Cancellation
H₂S is bent (92.1°) due to two lone pairs on sulfur. Like water, the bent shape means the bond dipoles cannot cancel.
Net Dipole Moment
The two weak bond dipoles add to give a small net dipole pointing from the hydrogens toward sulfur. H₂S is polar, but much less so than water.
See bond dipoles, partial charges, and net dipole moments on interactive 3D molecules.
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