MOLECULAR POLARITYFIELD NOTE 78 / 175
Is CH3F polar or nonpolar?
CH3F is polar because one strongly polar C–F bond leaves the tetrahedral carbon with unequal ends.
Fluoromethane · tetrahedral at C
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 CH3F is polar
Fluorine pulls electron density through the C–F bond much more strongly than the three hydrogens do through C–H bonds. Replacing one hydrogen of methane with F removes the equivalence of all four directions, leaving a net dipole.
What to notice
CH3F and CH4 share a tetrahedral carbon center. Substituent identity, rather than the word tetrahedral alone, changes the polarity.
Common questions about CH3F
- 01
What does the Lewis structure of CH3F show?
Carbon makes three C–H single bonds and one C–F single bond. Fluorine has three lone pairs.
- 02
What is the molecular geometry of CH3F?
CH3F has a tetrahedral at C molecular geometry. The 3D model shows representative bond angles of 108.8° and 110.2°. These angles come from the displayed model coordinates.
- 03
What is the molar mass of CH3F?
CH3F has an approximate molar mass of 34.03 g/mol, calculated from its formula using abridged standard atomic weights. Natural isotope variation can change the last digits.