MOLECULAR POLARITYFIELD NOTE 88 / 175
Is CHF3 polar or nonpolar?
CHF3 is polar because three fluorines and one hydrogen give its tetrahedral carbon unequal ends.
Trifluoromethane · 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 CHF3 is polar
The three C–F bonds are alike, but the fourth direction is a C–H bond. Their vector sum cannot cancel as it does in CF4, because hydrogen and fluorine make different bond dipoles.
What to notice
Compare CHF3 with CF4: replacing just one F by H turns a four-way symmetric nonpolar arrangement into a polar one.
Common questions about CHF3
- 01
What does the Lewis structure of CHF3 show?
Carbon forms three C–F single bonds and one C–H single bond. Each fluorine has three lone pairs.
- 02
What is the molecular geometry of CHF3?
CHF3 has a tetrahedral at C molecular geometry. The 3D model shows representative bond angles of 107.9° and 111°. These angles come from the displayed model coordinates.
- 03
What is the molar mass of CHF3?
CHF3 has an approximate molar mass of 70.01 g/mol, calculated from its formula using abridged standard atomic weights. Natural isotope variation can change the last digits.