To determine which covalent bond is the most polar, we need to compare the differences in electronegativity between the atoms in each bond. Electronegativity is a measure of the tendency of an atom to attract a bonding pair of electrons. The greater the difference in electronegativity between two atoms, the more polar the bond.
Here are the electronegativity values for the atoms involved:
- Oxygen (O): 3.44
- Carbon (C): 2.55
- Hydrogen (H): 2.20
- Sulfur (S): 2.58
Next, we calculate the absolute differences in electronegativity for each bond:
1. AH-O (Hydrogen - Oxygen)
[tex]\[
\text{Difference} = |3.44 - 2.20| = 1.24
\][/tex]
2. BH-C (Hydrogen - Carbon)
[tex]\[
\text{Difference} = |2.55 - 2.20| = 0.35
\][/tex]
3. CH-H (Hydrogen - Hydrogen)
[tex]\[
\text{Difference} = |2.20 - 2.20| = 0.00
\][/tex]
4. DH-S (Hydrogen - Sulfur)
[tex]\[
\text{Difference} = |2.58 - 2.20| = 0.38
\][/tex]
Now we compare these differences:
- AH-O: 1.24
- BH-C: 0.35
- CH-H: 0.00
- DH-S: 0.38
The bond with the largest electronegativity difference is AH-O with a difference of 1.24.
Therefore, the most polar bond is:
AH-O
