MOLECULAR POLARITYFIELD NOTE 69 / 175
Is CH2Cl2 polar or nonpolar?
CH2Cl2 is polar because two chlorine and two hydrogen substituents do not create equal, canceling bond dipoles around carbon.
Dichloromethane · tetrahedral
The molecule in space
Drag to turn the molecule. Show angles to read the model geometry.
01 / MODEL RECORDPubChem 3D coordinates. Atom sizes and bond thickness are illustrative.How model data is used ↗
Why CH2Cl2 is polar
Dichloromethane has two chlorine and two hydrogen substituents arranged tetrahedrally. The two C–Cl bond dipoles are much stronger than the two C–H dipoles, so they cannot cancel.
What to notice
Replacing two hydrogens of methane with chlorine breaks the equal-substituent pattern. A tetrahedral shape alone does not guarantee a nonpolar molecule.
Common questions about CH2Cl2
- 01
What does the Lewis structure of CH2Cl2 show?
C has four single bonds: two to H and two to Cl. Each Cl has three lone pairs, and C has none.
- 02
What is the molecular geometry of CH2Cl2?
CH2Cl2 has a tetrahedral molecular geometry. The 3D model shows representative bond angles of 111.2° and 109° and 109.7°. These angles come from the displayed model coordinates.
- 03
What is the molar mass of CH2Cl2?
CH2Cl2 has an approximate molar mass of 84.93 g/mol, calculated from its formula using abridged standard atomic weights. Natural isotope variation can change the last digits.