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  • Nitrogen Chloride (NCl₃): Understanding Its Polarity
    Nitrogen chloride (NCl₃) is actually a polar molecule, not nonpolar. Here's why:

    * Molecular Geometry: NCl₃ has a trigonal pyramidal shape. The nitrogen atom is at the center, with three chlorine atoms attached and a lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen.

    * Electronegativity Difference: Chlorine is more electronegative than nitrogen. This means that the chlorine atoms pull the shared electrons in the N-Cl bonds closer to themselves, creating partial negative charges (δ-) on the chlorine atoms and a partial positive charge (δ+) on the nitrogen atom.

    * Asymmetrical Charge Distribution: The three polar N-Cl bonds and the lone pair on the nitrogen atom don't cancel each other out. This creates a net dipole moment in the molecule, pointing towards the chlorine atoms.

    Therefore, due to the polar N-Cl bonds and the asymmetrical charge distribution, NCl₃ is a polar molecule.

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