MOLECULAR POLARITYFIELD NOTE 153 / 175
Is PF5 polar or nonpolar?
PF5 is nonpolar: its three equatorial P–F bond dipoles cancel together, while its two axial bonds oppose each other.
Phosphorus Pentafluoride · trigonal bipyramidal
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 PF5 is nonpolar
Phosphorus pentafluoride has a trigonal bipyramidal geometry with no lone pairs.
What to notice
The five P–F bonds are polar individually. In the trigonal bipyramidal molecule, equatorial and axial contributions each cancel within their groups.
Common questions about PF5
- 01
What does the Lewis structure of PF5 show?
P forms five single P–F bonds, with no central lone pair in the standard Lewis sketch. Each F has three lone pairs.
- 02
What is the molecular geometry of PF5?
PF5 has a trigonal bipyramidal molecular geometry. The 3D model shows representative bond angles of 120° and 90° and 180°. These are angles in the illustrative model, not experimental measurements.
- 03
What is the molar mass of PF5?
PF5 has an approximate molar mass of 125.96 g/mol, calculated from its formula using abridged standard atomic weights. Natural isotope variation can change the last digits.