Question

Oxygen has an electronegativity of 3.5, and carbon has an electronegativity of 2.5. how is charge distributed on an oxygen atom when it bonds with a carbon atom?

Answer 1

When oxygen has an electronegativity of 3.5, and carbon has an electronegativity of 2.5, then the oxygen atom would have a slightly negative charge. The oxygen atom in  the carbon monoxide molecule would pull more electrons to its side since it has higher electronegativity making it slightly negative and the carbon would have a slightly positive charge as it would contain less electrons. This results to the formation of a polar molecule. A polar molecule is made when the molecule contains a slightly positive end and a slightly negative end. It would have a net dipole which is a result of the partial opposing charges in the molecule.