A C-Cl bond is considered a polar covalent bond. This is because chlorine (Cl) is more electronegative than carbon (C). Electronegativity is a measure of an atom’s ability to attract and hold onto electrons in a chemical bond.
In a C-Cl bond, the chlorine atom pulls the shared electrons closer to itself, creating a partial negative charge (δ-) on the chlorine and a partial positive charge (δ+) on the carbon. This separation of charges results in a dipole moment, making the bond polar.
However, the overall polarity of a molecule depends on its molecular geometry. For example, in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), the four C-Cl bonds are polar, but the molecule itself is nonpolar due to its symmetrical tetrahedral shape, which cancels out the dipole moments.