# Which has a greater dipole: chloroform (CHCl3) or trichlorofluoromethane (CCl3F)?

Does chloroform have a greater dipole because the $$\ce{C-H}$$ dipole is weaker than $$\ce{C-Cl}$$ dipole thereby making the overall net dipole greater in chloroform, as opposed to trichlorofluoromethane where the $$\ce{C-F}$$ bond dipole being more similar to the $$\ce{C-Cl}$$ dipole makes the molecule more stable with a smaller net dipole?

• C-H and C-F dipoles are in opposite directions; which of them has greater absolute value is not immediately obvious. – Ivan Neretin Mar 2 at 6:16

$$\ce{C-Cl}$$ in $$\ce{CHCl3}$$ all lies in same direction and hence net vector sum is downwards, which makes it's dipole moment greater, while in $$\ce{CFCl3}$$ three $$\ce{C-Cl}$$ bonds are in same direction while one $$\ce{C-F}$$ lies in opposite direction to them thus while adding dipoles as vectors we need to subtract dipole of $$\ce{C-F}$$ from dipole of three $$\ce{C-Cl}$$ thus reducing net dipole moment.
Hence dipole moment of $$\ce{CHCl3}$$ is greater than $$\ce{CFCl3}$$ .