Question

Is HCl a dipole dipole?

Answer 1

Yes.

Chlorine has a higher electronegativity than hydrogen so will, thus, pull more electrons towards it.

`delta^(+)H - Cldelta^(-)`

This can allow for dipole-dipole interactions to occur.

`delta^(+)H - Cldelta^(-) --- delta^(+)H - Cldelta^(-)`

Remember to check electronegativity values to see if a dipole would be created between two atoms. If two atoms have the same electronegativity value then no dipole will be creation, for example `F_2` or `O_2` - they are molecules made of the same atom so will, therefore, have the same electronegativity value: therefore, no dipole can be created from this molecule.

As a side note: Do remember that the atom which pulls more electrons towards it will always have a `delta^(-)` because it has a greater concentration of electrons. In contrast, the less electronegative atom will always have a `delta^(+)` because it has less electrons and, thus, a slightly more positive charge than the more electronegative atom.