Geometry of the Alkaline-Earth Dihalides

Abstract

It has been shown by the deflection of beams of alkaline‐earth dihalide molecules by inhomogeneous electric fields that the following compounds have permanent electric dipole moments and are therefore assumed bent: BaF₂, BaCl₂, BaBr₂, BaI₂, SrF₂, SrCl₂, CaF₂. No polarity was observed for the following compounds investigated: CaCl₂, CaBr₂, SrBr₂, SrI₂. The absence of deflection of beams of BaCl₂ by inhomogeneous magnetic fields shows that this molecule has no electronic magnetic moment and hence is in a singlet ground state.