MOLECULAR POLARITYFIELD NOTE 29 / 175
Is C3H6O polar or nonpolar?
Propanal (C3H6O) is polar because its terminal C=O bond produces a net dipole.
Propanal · trigonal planar at aldehyde 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 C3H6O is polar
Propanal has a CH3–CH2–CHO chain ending in an aldehyde carbonyl. The strong C=O dipole points toward oxygen and is not canceled by the alkyl chain.
What to notice
Propanal and acetone share the formula C3H6O but differ in carbonyl placement: the aldehyde carbon bears H, whereas a ketone carbonyl sits between carbons.
Common questions about C3H6O
- 01
What does the Lewis structure of C3H6O show?
The connectivity is CH3–CH2–C(=O)H. The aldehyde carbon has one double bond and two single bonds; oxygen has two lone pairs.
- 02
What is the molecular geometry of C3H6O?
C3H6O has a trigonal planar at aldehyde C molecular geometry. The 3D model shows representative bond angles of 112.7° and 110.2° and 107.8°. These angles come from the displayed model coordinates.
- 03
What is the molar mass of C3H6O?
C3H6O has an approximate molar mass of 58.08 g/mol, calculated from its formula using abridged standard atomic weights. Natural isotope variation can change the last digits.