Does CH2Cl2 Have a Dipole Moment?

Yes, CH₂Cl₂ (dichloromethane) does have a dipole moment. This is due to the molecular geometry and the electronegativity differences between the atoms involved.

In CH₂Cl₂, the carbon atom is bonded to two hydrogen atoms and two chlorine atoms. Chlorine is more electronegative than both hydrogen and carbon, which means it pulls the shared electron pairs closer to itself. This creates a partial negative charge (δ-) on the chlorine atoms and a partial positive charge (δ+) on the hydrogen atoms.

The molecular geometry of CH₂Cl₂ is tetrahedral, but because of the two chlorine atoms, the molecule is not symmetrical. The dipole moments from the C-Cl bonds do not cancel out due to their arrangement, leading to a net dipole moment. The overall effect is that CH₂Cl₂ has a polar character, which contributes to its properties, such as its solubility in polar solvents.