NO3, also known as the nitrate ion, is considered a nonpolar molecule. This is because the molecule has a symmetrical shape, which means the dipoles cancel each other out.
In the nitrate ion, there are three oxygen atoms bonded to a central nitrogen atom. The molecule has a trigonal planar shape, with the nitrogen atom at the center and the three oxygen atoms evenly spaced around it. Each of the oxygen atoms has a partial negative charge, while the nitrogen atom has a partial positive charge. However, because the molecule is symmetrical, the charges are evenly distributed, and the dipoles cancel each other out. This results in a molecule that is nonpolar overall.
It’s important to note that while the individual N-O bonds are polar due to the difference in electronegativity between nitrogen and oxygen, the overall molecule is nonpolar because of its symmetrical shape.