MOLECULAR POLARITYFIELD NOTE 76 / 175
Is CH3COCH3 polar or nonpolar?
CH3COCH3 is polar because its strong C=O bond leaves a dipole between the carbonyl and methyl regions.
Acetone · trigonal planar at carbonyl C; tetrahedral at methyl 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 CH3COCH3 is polar
The central carbonyl carbon is bonded to two methyl groups and double-bonded to oxygen. Those two identical methyl groups do not supply an oxygen bond in the opposite direction, so C=O produces a net dipole.
What to notice
Acetone has two matching CH3 groups, but that partial symmetry does not cancel the C=O bond perpendicular to their approximate balance.
Common questions about CH3COCH3
- 01
What does the Lewis structure of CH3COCH3 show?
The connectivity is CH3–C(=O)–CH3. Oxygen has two lone pairs; the carbonyl carbon makes two single bonds and one double bond.
- 02
What is the molecular geometry of CH3COCH3?
CH3COCH3 has a trigonal planar at carbonyl C; tetrahedral at methyl C molecular geometry. The 3D model shows representative bond angles of 121.6° and 116.7° and 109.6°. These angles come from the displayed model coordinates.
- 03
What is the molar mass of CH3COCH3?
CH3COCH3 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.