MOLECULAR POLARITYFIELD NOTE 111 / 175
Is H2O polar or nonpolar?
Yes. H2O (water) is polar: each O–H bond pulls electron density toward oxygen, and the bent molecule has a net dipole.
Water · bent
The molecule in space
Drag to turn the molecule. Show angles to read the model geometry.
01 / MODEL RECORDNIST geometry. Atom sizes and bond thickness are illustrative.How model data is used ↗
Lewis structure of H2O
A Lewis diagram counts valence electrons. The model above shows the shape in space.
- 01
Bonds
Each O–H bond is polar because oxygen attracts shared electrons more strongly than hydrogen.
- 02
Shape
Two lone pairs on oxygen give H₂O a bent molecular shape.
- 03
Net dipole
The O–H bond dipoles point in different directions but do not cancel; H₂O is polar.
Why H2O is polar
Oxygen has two bonding pairs and two lone pairs, so the molecular geometry is bent rather than linear. NIST gives an equilibrium H–O–H angle of 104.4776°. The O–H dipole components across the angle bisector cancel, but their components toward oxygen add. Identical outer atoms therefore do not make water nonpolar.
What to notice
Compare water with CO2. Both have polar bonds and identical atoms at the ends; linear CO2 cancels its opposite C–O dipoles, while bent H2O retains a net dipole.
Common questions about H2O
- 01
Why is H2O polar instead of nonpolar?
Both O–H bonds are polar. Because the H–O–H angle is about 104.5°, their dipoles cannot point in opposite directions and cancel. Their components toward oxygen add, giving water a net dipole.
- 02
What does the Lewis structure of H2O show?
The Lewis structure is H–O–H. Oxygen forms two single bonds and keeps two lone pairs; those lone pairs help make the molecule bent.
- 03
What is the molecular geometry of H2O?
H2O has a bent molecular geometry. The 3D model shows representative bond angles of 104.5°. These angles come from the displayed model coordinates.
- 04
What is the molar mass of H2O?
H2O has an approximate molar mass of 18.02 g/mol, calculated from its formula using abridged standard atomic weights. Natural isotope variation can change the last digits.