Question

A diatomic molecule has a dipole moment of $1.2 \, D$. If the bond distance is $1 \, \text{Å}$, then fractional charge on each atom is ______ $\times 10^{-1} \, \text{esu}$.
(Given $1 \, D = 10^{-18} \, \text{esu cm}$)

Answer 1

The dipole moment $\mu$ is given by:

$\mu = q \times d$

Substitute the values:

$1.2 \times 10^{-10} \, \text{esu} \cdot \text{Å} = q \times 1 \, \text{Å}$ $q = 1.2 \times 10^{-10} \, \text{esu}$

Thus, the fractional charge on each atom is:

$0 \times 10^{-1} \, \text{esu}.$