Question

rank the following molecules in order of increasing dipole moments: bcl₃, bcl₂h, and bclh₂.
molecules (3 items) (drag and drop into the appropriate area)
1st attempt
see periodic table
see hint

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze \(BCl_3\)

\(BCl_3\) has a trigonal - planar geometry. The bond dipoles cancel each other out (\(\text{Cl}\) atoms are symmetrically placed around \(\text{B}\)), so its dipole moment \(\mu = 0\).

Step2: Analyze \(BCl_2H\)

In \(BCl_2H\), \(\text{H}\) and \(\text{Cl}\) have different electronegativities (\(\text{Cl}\) is more electronegative than \(\text{H}\)). The bond dipoles do not cancel completely.

Step3: Analyze \(BClH_2\)

In \(BClH_2\), there is one \(\text{Cl}-\text{B}\) bond and two \(\text{B}-\text{H}\) bonds. Since \(\text{Cl}\) has a higher electronegativity than \(\text{H}\), the net dipole moment is larger than that of \(BCl_2H\) (because there is a greater imbalance in electron - density distribution due to the single \(\text{Cl}\) atom compared to two \(\text{Cl}\) atoms in \(BCl_2H\)).

Answer:

\(BCl_3 < BCl_2H < BClH_2\)