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One typo fixed and thanks for the edits!
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Ed V
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Karsten's answer is excellent, but here is a figure that shows the mathemathicsmathematics involved:

Tetrahedral angle

The central atom (green) is at the center of the cube, the four other atoms (purple) are at alternating vertices and the geometry should be clear.

Alternatively, if you orient the molecule so one peripheral (purple) atom is directly "above" the central (green) atom, then each of the other three atoms is just $1 - \theta$ ($\approx 70.52877940 ^\circ$) away from being directly "under" the central atom, so each contributes $\cos(1 - \theta)$ times the bond dipole. This is the downward component of the bond dipole from one of the lower atoms.

But $\cos(1 - \theta) = 1/3$, so this is simply (bond dipole)/3, and there are three of these lower atoms, so the three downward components exactly balance the one upward component.

Karsten's answer is excellent, but here is a figure that shows the mathemathics involved:

Tetrahedral angle

The central atom (green) is at the center of the cube, the four other atoms (purple) are at alternating vertices and the geometry should be clear.

Alternatively, if you orient the molecule so one peripheral (purple) atom is directly "above" the central (green) atom, then each of the other three atoms is just $1 - \theta$ ($\approx 70.52877940 ^\circ$) away from being directly "under" the central atom, so each contributes $\cos(1 - \theta)$ times the bond dipole. This is the downward component of the bond dipole from one of the lower atoms.

But $\cos(1 - \theta) = 1/3$, so this is simply (bond dipole)/3, and there are three of these lower atoms, so the three downward components exactly balance the one upward component.

Karsten's answer is excellent, but here is a figure that shows the mathematics involved:

Tetrahedral angle

The central atom (green) is at the center of the cube, the four other atoms (purple) are at alternating vertices and the geometry should be clear.

Alternatively, if you orient the molecule so one peripheral (purple) atom is directly "above" the central (green) atom, then each of the other three atoms is just $1 - \theta$ ($\approx 70.52877940 ^\circ$) away from being directly "under" the central atom, so each contributes $\cos(1 - \theta)$ times the bond dipole. This is the downward component of the bond dipole from one of the lower atoms.

But $\cos(1 - \theta) = 1/3$, so this is simply (bond dipole)/3, and there are three of these lower atoms, so the three downward components exactly balance the one upward component.

Improved Formatting (as far as possible);
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Karsten's answer is excellent, but here is a figure that shows the mathmathemathics involved:

Tetrahedral angleTetrahedral angle

The central atom (green) is at the center of the cube, the four other atoms (purple) are at alternating vertices and the geometry should be clear.

Alternatively, if you orient the molecule so one peripheral (purple) atom is directly "above" the central (green) atom, then each of the other three atoms is just 1 - $\theta$$1 - \theta$ (about 70.52877940 degrees$\approx 70.52877940 ^\circ$) away from being directly "under" the central atom, so each contributes cos(1 - $\theta$)$\cos(1 - \theta)$ times the bond dipole. This is the downward component of the bond dipole from one of the lower atoms.

But cos(1 - $\theta$) = 1/3$\cos(1 - \theta) = 1/3$, so this is simply (bond dipole)/3, and there are three of these lower atoms, so the three downward components exactly balance the one upward component. Hope this helps!

Karsten's answer is excellent, but here is a figure that shows the math involved:

Tetrahedral angle

The central atom (green) is at the center of the cube, the four other atoms (purple) are at alternating vertices and the geometry should be clear.

Alternatively, if you orient the molecule so one peripheral (purple) atom is directly "above" the central (green) atom, then each of the other three atoms is just 1 - $\theta$ (about 70.52877940 degrees) away from being directly "under" the central atom, so each contributes cos(1 - $\theta$) times the bond dipole. This is the downward component of the bond dipole from one of the lower atoms.

But cos(1 - $\theta$) = 1/3, so this is simply (bond dipole)/3, and there are three of these lower atoms, so the three downward components exactly balance the one upward component. Hope this helps!

Karsten's answer is excellent, but here is a figure that shows the mathemathics involved:

Tetrahedral angle

The central atom (green) is at the center of the cube, the four other atoms (purple) are at alternating vertices and the geometry should be clear.

Alternatively, if you orient the molecule so one peripheral (purple) atom is directly "above" the central (green) atom, then each of the other three atoms is just $1 - \theta$ ($\approx 70.52877940 ^\circ$) away from being directly "under" the central atom, so each contributes $\cos(1 - \theta)$ times the bond dipole. This is the downward component of the bond dipole from one of the lower atoms.

But $\cos(1 - \theta) = 1/3$, so this is simply (bond dipole)/3, and there are three of these lower atoms, so the three downward components exactly balance the one upward component.

Two typos fixed.
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Ed V
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Karsten's answer is excellent, but here is a figure that shows the math involved:

Tetrahedral angle

The central atom (green) is at the center of the cube, the four other atoms (purple) are at alternating vertices and the geometry should be clear.

Alternatively, if you orient the moloculemolecule so one peripheral (purple) atom itis directly "above" the central (green) atom, then each of the other three atoms is just 1 - $\theta$ (about 70.52877940 degrees) away from being directly "under" the central atom, so each contributes cos(1 - $\theta$) times the bond dipole. This is the downward component of the bond dipole from one of the lower atoms.

But cos(1 - $\theta$) = 1/3, so this is simply (bond dipole)/3, and there are three of these lower atoms, so the three downward components exactly balance the one upward component. Hope this helps!

Karsten's answer is excellent, but here is a figure that shows the math involved:

Tetrahedral angle

The central atom (green) is at the center of the cube, the four other atoms (purple) are at alternating vertices and the geometry should be clear.

Alternatively, if you orient the molocule so one peripheral (purple) atom it directly "above" the central (green) atom, then each of the other three atoms is just 1 - $\theta$ (about 70.52877940 degrees) away from being directly "under" the central atom, so each contributes cos(1 - $\theta$) times the bond dipole. This is the downward component of the bond dipole from one of the lower atoms.

But cos(1 - $\theta$) = 1/3, so this is simply (bond dipole)/3, and there are three of these lower atoms, so the three downward components exactly balance the one upward component. Hope this helps!

Karsten's answer is excellent, but here is a figure that shows the math involved:

Tetrahedral angle

The central atom (green) is at the center of the cube, the four other atoms (purple) are at alternating vertices and the geometry should be clear.

Alternatively, if you orient the molecule so one peripheral (purple) atom is directly "above" the central (green) atom, then each of the other three atoms is just 1 - $\theta$ (about 70.52877940 degrees) away from being directly "under" the central atom, so each contributes cos(1 - $\theta$) times the bond dipole. This is the downward component of the bond dipole from one of the lower atoms.

But cos(1 - $\theta$) = 1/3, so this is simply (bond dipole)/3, and there are three of these lower atoms, so the three downward components exactly balance the one upward component. Hope this helps!

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Ed V
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