MOLECULAR POLARITYFIELD NOTE 18 / 175
Is C2H4 polar or nonpolar?
C2H4 is a nonpolar molecule because its symmetric planar structure causes all bond dipoles to cancel perfectly.
Ethylene · planar; trigonal at each C
The molecule in space
Drag to turn the molecule. Show angles to read the model geometry.
01 / MODEL RECORDPubChem 3D coordinates. Atom sizes and bond thickness are illustrative.How model data is used ↗
Why C2H4 is nonpolar
Ethylene has a planar structure with a C=C double bond and two hydrogen atoms on each carbon.
What to notice
Each carbon is locally trigonal planar, but ethylene as a whole has matching halves. Describing the entire molecule as one three-bond center would be misleading.
Common questions about C2H4
- 01
What does the Lewis structure of C2H4 show?
The connectivity is H2C=CH2. The carbon atoms share a double bond, and each carbon also bonds to two hydrogens.
- 02
What is the molecular geometry of C2H4?
The molecule is planar, with a trigonal arrangement at each carbon. The 3D model shows representative bond angles of 120.7° and 118.5°. These angles come from the displayed model coordinates.
- 03
What is the molar mass of C2H4?
C2H4 has an approximate molar mass of 28.05 g/mol, calculated from its formula using abridged standard atomic weights. Natural isotope variation can change the last digits.