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Is SiO2 Polar or Nonpolar?

Dec 25，2023

Silicon dioxide (SiO₂), also known as silica, is a non-polar molecule.

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Each Si=O bond in the SiO2 molecule is polar due to an electronegativity difference between the bonded Si and O atoms. The electronegativity of the oxygen (O) atom is greater than the silicon (Si) atom. The O atoms strongly attract the shared electron pairs in each Si=O bond. The oxygen atoms are positioned on opposite sides of the silicon atom, resulting in a symmetric arrangement.

The molecule's geometry and symmetry lead to its non-polar nature. Thus, the net dipole moment comes out to be zero, and SiO2 is non-polar.

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