Though in H2O the positive hydrogen atoms are more attracted to the lone pair.Ī polar compound has two poles created across it having different polarities, while the non-polar compounds have no such region of polarity on them. The presence of lone pair electrons causes negative-negative charge repulsion. 2 fluorine atoms are present either side of the molecule. The reason for this fact is the presence of highly negative halogen fluorine. The bond angle of SF2 is 98 degree and that of H2O is 104 degrees. SF2 is a polar molecule but its bonding angle is very interesting. What is interesting about the SF2 bonding angle? The orbitals on either side of the sulfur are 180 degrees apart from each other and the bond angle made between them is quite similar to that of water, it is 98 degrees. In SF2 the sulfur in the middle has SP3 hybridization. Hence, the molecule is not rendered symmetrical and the molecule gets polarity on it. With this model, you can see that there are two opposite sides in the structure having opposite polarity. Sulfur gains partial positive charge and both S-F bonds dipoles ads on to give a net dipole moment. The fluorine atom is more electronegative than the Sulfur atom due to which fluorine atoms pulls the shared bonded electrons slightly more towards its side and gains a partial negative charge. The two lone pairs of electrons are going to stay on the top of sulfur and both fluorine atoms in the downward direction resulting in a bent V shape. As we know the lone pair contributes to the molecule’s geometry, these lone pairs change the commonly assumed linear structure of the SF2 molecule to a great extent.Īccording to the Valence Shell Electron Repulsion Theory or VSEPR theory, the fluorines are going to spread out further and the linear structure is going to bend with the fluorine atoms bending down. However, sulfur is left with two lone pairs of electrons on it while the fluorines have 3 lone pairs each. Sulfur with one electron on either side forms a covalent bond with both of the fluorine atoms. While the sulfur has 6 electrons in the outermost shell. There are two fluorine atoms on either side of the sulfur atom having 7 valence electrons in the outermost shell of the atom. There are regions in the molecule that have high positive charge density and high negative charge density, creating poles on the molecule, hence the polarity.
The polarity of the molecule results from the non-symmetrical sharing of the valence electron, creating a region of unequal charges in the molecule. Therefore, the dipoles of the S-F bond do not cancel out each other and molecules turn out to be polar and contribute some dipole moment. So, Is SF2 polar or nonpolar? SF2 is polar in nature because the sulfur(2.58) and fluorine(3.98) atoms in the molecule differ in their electronegativity and the molecule has a bent geometrical shape. The compound can be polar or nonpolar depending upon the sharing of the charges on the molecule, and this charge is spread because of the sharing of the electron in the valence shell of an atom. However, the biggest dilemma that students have about the compound is its polarity. It comprises two atoms of fluorine attached to one atom of sulfur. It is an inorganic compound that has a bond angle of 98 degrees between the three atoms F-S-F. Sulfur difluoride is a molecule denoted by the chemical formula SF2.