The molecule OCl2 (oxygen dichloride) is polar.
Explanation:
To determine the polarity of OCl2, we must first examine its molecular structure. OCl2 consists of one oxygen atom and two chlorine atoms. The oxygen atom is more electronegative than chlorine, which means it attracts the shared electrons in the O-Cl bonds more strongly.
Due to this difference in electronegativity, the O-Cl bonds are polar; this means that the electrons are not shared equally between the oxygen and chlorine. As a result, the oxygen atom has a partial negative charge (δ-), while each chlorine atom has a partial positive charge (δ+).
Furthermore, the molecular geometry of OCl2 is bent, meaning that the dipole moments of the two polar bonds do not cancel each other out. Instead, they add together, resulting in a net dipole moment pointing towards the oxygen atom.
Considering these factors, we conclude that OCl2 is a polar molecule due to its bent shape and the difference in electronegativity between oxygen and chlorine, which creates an overall dipole moment.