MolDraw Learn

How to draw lone pairs and radicals

Beginner 4 min 3 steps

Short answer: Pick the lone pair tool and click an atom to add a pair of dots. Pick Free radical in the same menu to add a single dot.

You will learn to: Place a single atom; Add two lone pairs to oxygen; Add a radical dot.

1 Watch demo2 Try in editor

Watch the demo

Lone pairs and radicals in about 15 seconds.

The steps in text

Step 1: Draw water

  1. Click O in the atom palette.
  2. Click an empty spot on the canvas. You get H2O.

Step 2: Add two lone pairs to O

  1. Pick the lone pair tool in the left rail. It shows two dots.
  2. Click the O atom twice.

Step 3: Draw a methyl radical

  1. Click Clear canvas (the red bin).
  2. Click C in the atom palette. Click an empty spot.
  3. Open the lone pair menu (small arrow) and pick Free radical. Click the C atom.

Try it in the editor

The full MolDraw editor opens here. It loads when you open this tab.

Questions and answers

How many lone pairs does water have?

The oxygen in water has two lone pairs.

How do I draw a radical?

Open the lone pair menu, pick Free radical, then click the atom.

Can I move lone pairs?

Yes. Drag the dots around the atom with the select tool.

For more detail, read the guide in the docs.