Which of the following is the correct order of dipole moment of methyl halides? (a) \(\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{~F}>\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{Cl}>\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{Br}>\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{I}\) (b) \(\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{Cl}>\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{~F}>\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{Br}>\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{I}\) (c) \(\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{I}>\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{Br}>\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{~F}>\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{I}\) (d) \(\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{I}>\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{Br}>\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{Cl}>\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{~F}\)

Short Answer

Expert verified
Question: Arrange the following methyl halides in the correct order of dipole moments: CH3F, CH3Cl, CH3Br, and CH3I. Answer: The correct order of dipole moments is CH3F > CH3Cl > CH3Br > CH3I.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the concept of dipole moment

In a molecule, a dipole moment occurs when there is a separation of charges due to differences in electronegativity between bonded atoms. In our case, we are looking at the C-X bond in methyl halides, where X represents a halogen (F, Cl, Br, or I). The dipole moment can be defined as \(\mu = \delta\times d\), where \(\mu\) is the dipole moment, \(\delta\) is the difference in electronegativity, and \(d\) is the distance between the charges. Since the bond lengths do not vary significantly between the methyl halides, we can focus on the electronegativity differences to determine the dipole moments comparatively.
02

Comparing electronegativities of different halogens

To decide on the order of dipole moments, we need to examine the electronegativities of the halogens in the periodic table. The electronegativity values for elements decrease as we go down a group, so the order of electronegativity is F > Cl > Br > I.
03

Determining the order of the dipole moments

Since the dipole moment is determined by the difference in electronegativity, we can now determine the order: 1. CH3F: C-F bond has the largest electronegativity difference because F is the most electronegative halogen. 2. CH3Cl: C-Cl bond has the next largest electronegativity difference since Cl is the second most electronegative halogen. 3. CH3Br: C-Br bond has a smaller electronegativity difference due to Br being less electronegative than both F and Cl. 4. CH3I: C-I bond has the smallest electronegativity difference because I is the least electronegative halogen among the options.
04

Identifying the correct answer

Now, by comparing the given answer options, we can see that the correct order of dipole moments matches the order given in option (a) \(\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{F}>\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{Cl}>\mathrm{CH}_{3}\mathrm{Br}>\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{I}\). Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

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