Bromine

JohnnyTheFox

Hey, simple question, can't find an answer anywhere in my books. Why does bromine not have neutral polar charge? When its a symetrical molecule? Ta

Gokul43201

If you are asking why Br2 is a polar molecule, the only answer to that is : "uhhhh ?"

Br2 is very much a non-polar molecule (or there's something extremely unusual here) - it has zero dipole moment.

Who told you otherwise ? Please provide an exact source or quote if you can.

so-crates

You can induce a charge on Br2 since it is anisotropically polarizable. Also if I remember correctly the mechanism for addition of bromine to alkenes/alkynes as it was taught in my organic chem course, the rate limiting step occurs when the charge distribution is slightly favored toward one bromine atom(though it was never explained WHY this occurs - one of my many beefs with how organic chem is taught). Perhaps Johnny meant somethng along those lines.