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Is PBr3 polar or nonpolar?
PBr3 is polar because a phosphorus lone pair prevents its three P–Br bond dipoles from canceling.
Phosphorus Tribromide · trigonal pyramidal
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 PBr3 is polar
The central phosphorus makes three P–Br bonds and has one lone pair. The bromines occupy a pyramidal arrangement rather than a symmetric plane, producing a net molecular dipole.
What to notice
PBr3 follows the same shape logic as PCl3. Changing Cl to Br affects bond strength, while the central lone pair keeps the pyramid.
Common questions about PBr3
- 01
What does the Lewis structure of PBr3 show?
P has three P–Br single bonds and one lone pair. Each Br keeps three lone pairs.
- 02
What is the molecular geometry of PBr3?
PBr3 has a trigonal pyramidal molecular geometry. The 3D model shows representative bond angles of 98.1°. These angles come from the displayed model coordinates.
- 03
What is the molar mass of PBr3?
PBr3 has an approximate molar mass of 270.69 g/mol, calculated from its formula using abridged standard atomic weights. Natural isotope variation can change the last digits.