MOLECULAR POLARITYFIELD NOTE 164 / 175
Is SO2 polar or nonpolar?
SO2 is polar because its two S–O bonds form a bent shape, so their bond dipoles do not cancel.
Sulfur Dioxide · bent
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 SO2 is polar
Sulfur dioxide has a bent shape with a 119° bond angle due to a lone pair on the central sulfur atom. Oxygen (3.44) is more electronegative than sulfur (2.58), making each S=O bond polar.
What to notice
SO2 has two S–O bond contributions in a bent arrangement. Unlike trigonal planar SO3, they cannot sum to zero.
Common questions about SO2
- 01
What does the Lewis structure of SO2 show?
One common Lewis sketch is O=S=O with one lone pair on S and two on each O. Resonance descriptions also help explain the equivalent S–O bonds.
- 02
What is the molecular geometry of SO2?
SO2 has a bent molecular geometry. The 3D model shows representative bond angles of 119.5°. These are angles in the illustrative model, not experimental measurements.
- 03
What is the molar mass of SO2?
SO2 has an approximate molar mass of 64.06 g/mol, calculated from its formula using abridged standard atomic weights. Natural isotope variation can change the last digits.