MolDraw › 3D molecule models › Water 3D model
Water molecule model (H2O)
Water is the simplest bent molecule and the most important solvent on Earth. Its shape, two O–H bonds and two lone pairs on oxygen, explains its polarity, hydrogen bonding and unusually high boiling point.
Drag to rotate · pinch or scroll to zoom. 3D coordinates: PubChem conformer (CID 962).
Water at a glance
| Formula | H2O |
|---|---|
| Molar mass | 18.015 g/mol |
| IUPAC name | oxidane |
| Atoms / bonds | 3 / 2 |
| H-bond donors / acceptors | 1 / 1 |
| XLogP3 | -0.5 |
| SMILES | O |
| PubChem CID | 962 |
What the 3D model of Water shows
The model contains 3 atoms (1 heavy atom and 2 hydrogens) joined by 2 bonds; in ball-and-stick mode every stick is one bond, and double or aromatic bonds are drawn as multiple sticks. Switch to space-filling to see the molecule as its electron cloud, scaled to van der Waals radii: this is the shape other molecules actually "feel". It can donate 1 and accept 1 hydrogen bonds, and its PubChem XLogP3 of -0.5 means it is fairly balanced between water and fat solubility. Its topological polar surface area is 1 Ų.
Shape and bond angles
| Atom(s) | Geometry / hybridisation | Angles & lengths |
|---|---|---|
| O | Bent (AX₂E₂), tetrahedral electron geometry, sp³ | H–O–H 104.5°; O–H bond length 95.8 pm |
Is Water polar?
Polar. The two O–H bond dipoles do not cancel in the bent shape, so the molecule has a dipole moment of about 1.85 D.
Elemental composition of H2O
| Element | Atoms | Mass (g/mol) | Mass % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hydrogen (H) | 2 | 2.016 | 11.19% |
| Oxygen (O) | 1 | 15.999 | 88.81% |
Calculated from IUPAC standard atomic weights. Check any formula with the molar mass calculator.
Uses of water
- Universal solvent in chemistry and biology
- Reactant in hydrolysis and photosynthesis
- Coolant and heat-transfer fluid thanks to its high specific heat (4.18 J g⁻¹ K⁻¹)
Interesting facts
- Each water molecule can form up to four hydrogen bonds: two through its H atoms and two through its lone pairs.
- Ice is less dense than liquid water because hydrogen bonding locks molecules into an open hexagonal lattice.
- The 104.5° angle is smaller than the tetrahedral 109.5° because the two lone pairs push the bonds together.
Drawing structures for your notes? MolDraw is a free online chemical structure editor for molecules, reactions and lab diagrams.
Open MolDraw editorFrequently asked questions
What shape is a water molecule?
Bent (V-shaped). Oxygen has two bonding pairs and two lone pairs arranged tetrahedrally, giving an H–O–H angle of 104.5°.
Why is water polar?
Oxygen is much more electronegative than hydrogen, and the bent shape means the two bond dipoles add up instead of cancelling.
What is the chemical formula and molar mass of water?
Water is H2O with a molar mass of 18.015 g/mol (PubChem CID 962). It contains 3 atoms: 2 hydrogen, 1 oxygen.
What is the IUPAC name of Water?
The PubChem-computed IUPAC name is oxidane.
How do I make a model of Water?
Rotate the interactive model above to see how its 3 atoms connect, then copy it with a ball-and-stick kit: use the CPK colours shown (carbon grey or black, hydrogen white, oxygen red, nitrogen blue). For a school project, foam balls and toothpicks work well.