Why do dipoles cancel out?

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Why do dipoles cancel out?

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Answer 1 · 2017-11-19T13:01:03

Well, not all of them do.....

Explanation:

Dipoles are vector quantities...and they have magnitude and direction, and are thus summed geometrically. The carbon dioxide molecule is definitely a species where there is charge separation between the carbon and the oxygen bonds....

$^{- δ} O = δ + C = O^{δ -}$ $""^(-delta)O=stackrel(delta+)C=O^(delta-)$ ...but given the linear structure of this molecule $∠ O - C - O = 180^{\circ}$ $/_O-C-O=180^@$ , the bond dipoles cancel out upon vector addition and to give a ZERO resultant, and $C O_{2}$ $CO_2$ is thus non-polar. For $^{+ δ} H - δ - O - H^{δ +}$ $""^(+delta)H-stackrel(delta-)O-H^(delta+)$ , whose structure is bent, $∠ H - O - H = 104^{\circ}$ $/_H-O-H=104^@$ , and the dipoles DO NOT geometrically sum to zero. Water is thus a polar molecule....

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Why do dipoles cancel out?

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