Moderate

The dipole moments of the given molecules (BF3, NF3, NH3) are such that:

Correct answer: C. NH3 > NF3 > BF3

  • A. BF3 > NF3>NH3
  • B. NF3 > BF3> NH3
  • C. NH3 > NF3 > BF3
  • D. NH3 >BF3 > NF3
  • E. NH3 = BF3 = NF3

Explanation

The dipole moment of a molecule depends on the polarity and the arrangement of the bonds and atoms. In the given molecules, NH3 has the highest dipole moment because it has a polar covalent bond and a lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom, which creates a significant dipole moment. NF3 has a lower dipole moment than NH3 because it has a similar polar covalent bond but has a symmetric shape that cancels out some of the dipole moment. BF3 has the lowest dipole moment of the three molecules because it has only polar covalent bonds and a Trigonal planar shape that cancels out the dipole moments of each bond. Therefore, the correct order of dipole moment is: NH3 > NF3 > BF3

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