Question

Carbon dioxide has two polar bonds but it is a non-polar molecule, Explain?

Answer 1

Because molecular polarity is the VECTOR SUM of the individual bond dipoles....

Explanation:

And the dipoles in `""^(""^(-)delta)O=stackrel(delta^+)C=O^(delta^-)` are symmetrically opposed, so when they added the resultant vector is ZERO, and hence a non-polar molecule.

On the other hand, the vector sum of the bond dipoles in water, `""^(""^(+)delta)H-stackrel(delta^-)O-H^(delta^-)` DO NOT SUM to ZERO `(/_H-O-H=104.5^@)`, and hence water is polar molecule...due to the stereochemical influence of the lone pairs on the oxygen atom.

And what about `"CCl"_4`? Can you make a prediction with regard to molecular polarity? Certainly `C-Cl` describes a polar bond.