Featured Lab
Molecule Explorer
Rotate water, methane, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and an ionic crystal model. Watch shape become chemistry.
Molecule Explorer
Look for the bend. That shape helps explain why water is polar.
Rotate the molecule
Water
H₂O
Drag to rotate. Scroll or pinch to zoom.
H₂O
Bent
Bond angle: about 104.5°
Water is not straight. Oxygen has lone pairs that push the hydrogen bonds into a bent shape.
Choose a molecule
Which molecule is linear?
Look for the molecule with a 180° bond angle.