Chloroform (CHCl3) is considered a polar molecule. This can be explained by looking at its molecular structure and the presence of electronegative atoms.
In CHCl3, the carbon atom is bonded to three chlorine atoms and one hydrogen atom. The chlorine atoms are highly electronegative compared to carbon and hydrogen, which creates a significant difference in electronegativity. This leads to the formation of polar covalent bonds between carbon and chlorine.
Moreover, the molecule has a tetrahedral geometry. Due to the three chlorine atoms pulling the electron density away from the central carbon atom, there is an uneven distribution of charge within the molecule, making it asymmetric. The dipole moments of the C-Cl bonds do not cancel out because of this asymmetry, contributing to the overall polarity of the molecule.
As a result, CHCl3 has a net dipole moment, confirming that it is indeed a polar molecule. This polarity affects its physical properties, such as solubility in water and its interaction with other polar substances.