MOLECULAR POLARITYFIELD NOTE 11 / 175
Is BF3 polar or nonpolar?
BF3 is a nonpolar molecule because its trigonal planar symmetry causes the three highly polar B–F bond dipoles to cancel each other completely.
Boron Trifluoride · trigonal planar
The molecule in space
Drag to turn the molecule. Show angles to read the model geometry.
01 / MODEL RECORDIllustrative geometry. Atom sizes and bond thickness are illustrative.How model data is used ↗
Why BF3 is nonpolar
Each B–F bond is highly polar since fluorine (3.98) is much more electronegative than boron (2.04).
What to notice
Fluorine makes each B–F bond strongly polar. The equal spacing of the three fluorines, not weak bonding, explains the zero net dipole.
Common questions about BF3
- 01
What does the Lewis structure of BF3 show?
B makes three single B–F bonds, and each F has three lone pairs. The central B has an incomplete octet of six electrons.
- 02
What is the molecular geometry of BF3?
BF3 has a trigonal planar molecular geometry. The 3D model shows representative bond angles of 119.9°. These are angles in the illustrative model, not experimental measurements.
- 03
What is the molar mass of BF3?
BF3 has an approximate molar mass of 67.80 g/mol, calculated from its formula using abridged standard atomic weights. Natural isotope variation can change the last digits.