ChemBonding8. In methane CH4, the bonding between carbon and hydrogen is ionic polar covalent nonpolar covalent Question 8 (1 point) ChemBonding1. In NaCl, the bonding between sodium and chloride is ionic polar covalent nonpolar covalent
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
For the two questions you mentioned:
1. In methane (CH₄), the bonding between carbon and hydrogen is:
Answer: Nonpolar covalent
Explanation:
In methane (CH₄), the bonding between carbon and hydrogen is classified as nonpolar covalent. This is because carbon and hydrogen have similar electronegativities. Electronegativity refers to the ability of an atom to attract shared electrons in a chemical bond. Carbon has an electronegativity of 2.55, while hydrogen has an electronegativity of 2.20. This difference is relatively small (0.35), meaning that the electrons are shared nearly equally between the two atoms in each C-H bond.
Because of this small difference in electronegativity, the electrons are not pulled more toward one atom than the other, resulting in a nonpolar covalent bond. Additionally, methane has a symmetrical tetrahedral geometry, which helps maintain the balance in electron distribution across the molecule. Thus, despite the individual C-H bonds being slightly polar (due to the slight electronegativity difference), the overall molecule is nonpolar because the bond dipoles cancel each other out.
2. In NaCl, the bonding between sodium and chloride is:
Answer: Ionic
Explanation:
In sodium chloride (NaCl), the bonding between sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl) is classified as ionic. This is due to the large difference in electronegativity between the two elements. Sodium has an electronegativity of 0.93, and chlorine has an electronegativity of 3.16. This significant difference (around 2.23) causes sodium to lose its outer electron easily, becoming a positively charged ion (Na⁺), while chlorine gains that electron to become a negatively charged ion (Cl⁻).
Once the sodium atom loses its electron and becomes Na⁺, and the chlorine atom gains that electron to become Cl⁻, an electrostatic attraction occurs between the oppositely charged ions, forming the ionic bond. The result is a crystalline structure where Na⁺ and Cl⁻ ions are arranged in a regular, repeating pattern, maximizing the attraction between the positive and negative charges.
In ionic bonds, electrons are not shared between atoms as in covalent bonds; instead, one atom completely transfers its electron to the other. This type of bond typically occurs when there is a large difference in electronegativity, as is the case with sodium and chlorine.