4 Types of Nonpolar Molecules that Cause Confusion

What happens after teaching nonpolar molecules? There is utter confusion written on students' faces after the lesson.

But if you think back to your own high school chemistry experience, did you get it the first time? Many of us never had a teacher who explained it well.

So how can we teach this clearly?

Part of the reason it’s so confusing is that there are so many different types of nonpolar molecules.

I know. You’re thinking, “Wait. Types of nonpolar molecules?!”. Breaking it into patterns will help your students recognize the difference in polar and nonpolar.

Use this article as a guide to help students. After using it, students will be able to recognize types of nonpolar molecules. (Especially, if you use this worksheet I shamelessly plugged here.)

Completely Neutral Molecule

This is a molecule with two atoms. The key is they are all the same atoms.

But you don't need to talk about electronegativity yet. Have students draw the molecule. Then have students place valence electrons, if needed.

If there are a lot of electrons, it’s negative. If there are no valence electrons it’s positive.

This illustration isn’t really based on electronegativity, so much as valence electrons, so it’s easier for students to understand.

But, what if the atoms are different? ​

A Molecule That Goes Back And Forth Between Positivity and Negativity

This molecule has a positive atom. Then a negative atom. Then back to a positive atom. Or it can go in reverse order too.

Tell students this molecule can't make up it's mind.

Because it goes back and forth, it's nonpolar. And nonpolar is another way of saying it doesn't have one positive end and one negative end. In fact, it can have many areas of positivity and negativity.

But what happens when…

A Molecule Has One Charge in the Center and Another Charge Surrounding the Center

When a molecule has one charge in the middle and a the opposite charge on the outside, it's nonpolar.

Why? There isn't a positive end and a negative end. The molecule doesn't have a positive section and a negative section other molecules could interact with.

It's one charge surrounded by another charge. Like tootsie pop.

Thus it is nonpolar.

Want to Teach This to Your Students?

If you like this way of explaining things to your students, then you’ll love CoScine Creative’s Intro to Polarity worksheet.

It gives students a bank of example templates and then students can apply those templates to problems.

Using this method helps students understand the why of polarity without going into super detail.

Click here to see the worksheet.